FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED   BY  HIM  TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


fO'j.'SO 


LIFE 


HENRY    ALFORD,    D.D. 


I   ANNO    18  6: 


/ 

LIFE 

JOURNALS  AND   LETTERS 

OF 

HENRY  ALFORD,   D.D, 

LATE  DEAN  OF  CANTERBURY 


EDITED    BY    HIS    WIDOW 


J3ijtlat(clpljia 
J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 

io;3 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    I. 
1810-1828. 

PAGE 

Parentage— Birth— Childhood— At  School  and  with  a  Pri- 
vate Tutor ^ 

CHAPTER    n. 

1828—1832. 

Life  at  Cambridge  as  an  Undergradvate— Goes  to  read  at 
Portsmouth  —  Meeting  with  \Y.  Wordsworth  —  Bell's 
Scholar 35 

CHAPTER    HL 

1832—1840. 

First  publishes  Poems— Pupils — Curacy  at  Ampton— Fellow 
of  Trinity— Marriage— Becomes  Vicar  of  Wymeswold — Tour 
to  Belgium,  Switzerland,  and  North  Italy— Edits  Dear- 
den's  Miscellany 76 

CHAPTER    IV. 

1840-1847. 

Visitation  Sermon  —  Correspondence  with  Miss  E.  Mott — 
Appointed  Hulsean  Lecturer  at  Cambridge,  and  Examiner 
in  Logic  in  the  University  of  London — Tours  on  the  Con- 
tinent— Death  of  Youngest  Son — New  Vicarage  built — Re- 
storation OF  Wymeswold  Church  begun — National  School- 
room built — Compiles  a  larger  Hymn  Book  for  Wymeswold, 

AND   publishes  A  VOLUME   OF   SeRMONS— VlSITS   BoNN  .  .       122 


vi  Contents. 

CHAPTER   V. 
1847—1851. 

I'AGF. 

Gives  up  TuriLs— Fuulishes  another  Volume  of  Sermons — Pub- 
lishes THE  First  Volume  of  Greek  Testament— Candidate 
FOR  THE  Regius  Professorship  of  Divinity,  Cambridge  — 
Death  of  his  Eldest  Son 163 


CHAPTER   VI. 

1851—1853. 

Letters  concerning  the  Greek  Testament — Three  Months' 
Residence  in  London— Death  of  his  Father — Removal  to 
London  as  Minister  of  Quebec  Chapel 198 


CHAPTER   VH. 

1853—1857. 

London  Work — Crimean  War — Tour  to  the  Pyrenees— Con- 
troversy ON  THE  Sabbath  Question — Tour  in  Scotland — 
Revision  of  Part  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  New 
Testament— Appointed  to  the  Deanery  of  Canterbury      .     234 

CHAPTER   VHL 

1857—1860. 

Work  at  Canterbury— Tour  in  Germany— The  Evangelical 
Alliance  at  Berlin— Tour  in  the  West  of  Scotland — 
Visits  the  West  of  England — Bishop  Mackenzie's  Farewell 
Service  at  Canterbury— Last  Volume  of  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment         273 

CHAPTER    IX. 

1861—1862. 

Masque  of  "The  Seasons" — First  Visit  to  Rome — Preaches  be- 
fore THE  Queen- — Cathedral  Repairs — Autumn  at  the  Lakes 
— Translation  of  the  Odyssey  published — Death  of  the 
Prince  Consort — Visit  to  Nice— Tour  in  Switzerland  — 
Death  of  Archbishop  Sumner,  and  Enthronement  of  Arch- 
bishop LoNGLEY ^01 


Contents. 

CHAPTER   X. 
1863—1867. 


TAGb 


New  Testament  for  English  Readers— Queen's  English — 
King's  School  Rebuilding  —  Consecration  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral— Winter  in  Rome— Canterbury  Harmonic  Union 
FORMED— Sojourn  at  Callender — Attends  Norwich  Congress 
— Year  of  Prayer  and  Year  of  Praise — Autumn  Home  at 
Vines  Gate— First  Canterbury  Mission — Lectures  at  Glas- 
gow— Netherton-on-Sea 359 


CHAPTER   XL 

1867—1870. 

Archbishop  Longley's  Ordination  at  Canterbury^ — Visits 
Cornwall  and  the  Isles  of  Scilly — Death  of  Arckbiskop 
Longley  and  Enthronement  of  Archbishop  Tait— Visits  to 
the  Riviera — Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament — 
Lectures  at  Liverpool,  Leeds,  and  Bradford — Illustrated 
Books  in  Contemplation — Commentary  on  the  Old  Testa- 
ment —  Scheme  to  visit  the  Holy  Land  —  Company  for 
Revising  the  New  Testament — Last  Tour  on  the  Conti- 
nent— Autumn  at  Vines  Gate — Visit  to  the  East  Coast  of 
Scotland 408 


CHAPTER   XII. 

1870—1871. 

Declining  Health  — Revision  Work  relin(h;i.shei)  —  Old  Tes- 
tament Commentary  suspended  —  Last  Days  —  Funeral — 
Opinions  of  his  Character  and  Works 463 


APPENDIX. 

A. — Works  of  Dean  Alford  in  the  Order  of  their  Publi- 
cation    511 

B. — Processional  Hymn 526 

C— Cathedral  Restoration 528 

Index '      .         -533 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


roRTRAlT.      To  face  Title. 

Interior  of  Wymeswold  Church  restored,  looking  West. 

To  face  page  146. 
Dean  Alford's  Library.      To  face  page  Xl^- 


CHAPTER    I. 

1810-1828. 

Parentage— Birth— Childhood— At  School  and  with  a 
Private  Tutor. 

HENRY  ALFORD  came  of  a  Somersetshire  family.  His 
great-great-grandfatlier,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Alford, 
who  died  iu  1708,  was  vicar  of  Curry  Rivell,  near  Tauntou. 
His  wife  was  Frances  Powell,  sister  of  Mr.  Powell,  of  Heale 
House,  in  the  parish  of  Curry  Rivell,  and  aunt  of  Mary  Powell, 
heiress    of  the  Heale  Estate.      His    son  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Alford,  was  vicar  of  Ashill  near  Ilminster,  and  died  in  1777, 
leaving    two    sons  in    holy    orders,   of  whom  one  Thomas, 
succeeded   his    father    as    vicar    of  Ashill,  and    the    other, 
Samuel,  became  vicar  of  Curry  Rivell.     The  latter  appears 
to  have   had  a  larger    share  than  his    brother    of  worldly 
prosperity.      The    parish    of   Curry    Rivell  included   in   its 
boundaries  Burton  Pynsent,  one  of  the   seats   of  the  Chat- 
ham   family,    and  he   became  Dean  of  St.   Burian^s,  Corn- 
wall,   on    the    nomination    of   Lord  Eliot,  of  St.  Germans, 
who  was  related  by  marriage  to    the  first  Lord  Chatham. 
He  also    inherited    considerable  property,  including  Heale 
House,    from    his   cousin  Mary  Powell.     The  patronage  of 
the  Chatham  family  appears  to  have  been  extended  to  his 
son    and  namesake,    the  Rev.  Samuel    Alford  (my  father), 
who   was    chaplain    to   Lady  Chatham  from  1801  to  1803, 
when  she  died.     I  have  hea^    him  say  that  Lady  Hester 
Stanhope,  who    resided    with   her    grandmother  at  Burton 
Pynsent,  was   on  terms  of  great  intimacy  with  'the  family 
at  Heale  House,  and  Mr.  Pitt  became  well-known  to  them 


2  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  I. 

in  Ms  frequent  visits  to  his  mother  at  Burton  \  A  memorial 
of  that  distinguished  family  remained  with  us  long  after  those 
days.  A  table  on  whose  plaster  surface  were  etched  some 
incidents  from  Ovid's  Metamorphoses^  which  once  stood  in 
the  apartment  of  Mr.  Pitt  at  Burton,  was  transferred  on 
my  husband's  death  in  1871  from  the  Deanery  at  Canter- 
bury to  the  Library  adjoining  the  Cathedral. 

My  father,  the  Eev.  Samuel  Alford,  was  perpetual  curate 
of  Muchelney,  a  small  parish  about  three  miles  distant  from 
Heale  House  where  he  resided.  There  he  brought  up  a 
family  of  thirteen  children,  and  died  in  1853. 

His  brother,  the  Rev.  Henry  Alford,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir,  was  born  in  the  Vicarage  of  Curry 
Rivell  in  1772,  and  entered  Wadham  College,  Oxford,  1800. 
He  had  obtained  some  success  as  a  special  pleader,  when, 
in  1809,  he  married  Sarah  Eliza  Paget,  a  sister  of  a  College 
friend,  whose  father  was  a  banker  at  Tamworth.  This  lady, 
to  whom  he  had  long  been  deeply  attached,  is  described  as 
'^a  very  pleasing,  amiable,  and  interesting  person,'^  intel- 
lectual, and  a  good  musician.  On  October  7,  1810,  their 
only  child,  Henry  Alford,  was  born  at  25,  Alfred  Place, 
Bedford  Eow,  London,  and  in  the  following  February  the 
young  mother  died. 

Her  son  writing  in  1854,  thus  refers  to  these  two  events : 
— "  The  meditations  and  prayers  contained  in  my  mother's 
jom'nals  for  some  months  previous  to  this  event  (the  birth) 
are  very  touching,  and  such  as  prove  her  mind  to  have 
been  beyond  doubt  under  the  workings  of  God's  Holy  Spirit. 
He  mdeed  was  already  preparing  the  way  for  the  completion 
of  her  course  here  below ;  and  it  is  by  His  providence  that 
there  has  been  left  to  us  such  precious  signs  that  this  was 
so.  Almost  from  the  time  of  my  birth  her  health  seemed 
to  decline.  For  this  various  causes  were  assigned ;  but 
in  looking  back  over  the  bereavements  of  the  past,  it  is 
well  to  dwell    on   one    cause   only  and  that  the  first.     On 


'  See  Lord  Stanhope's  "  Life  of  Pitt,"  for  an  account  of  the  time  spent 
by  Pitt  at  Burton  Pynsent  during  his  father's  life,  and  of  his  visits  there  to 
his  mother  after  his  father's  death  in  1778  at  Haynes. 


i8 1 0-1828]  Parentage.  3 

the  13th  December  my  father  wrote  cheerfully  about  her, 
as  having  nearly  regained  her  usual  strength.  But  on 
January  29th  she  had  become  much  worse,  and  there  was 
every  reason  to  fear  a  vessel  had  been  ruptured  in  the  head. 
The  worst  fears  were  realized  on  Sunday  evening,  February 
4th,  but  not  before  she  had  been  mercifully  favoured  with 
an  interval  of  sensibility,  in  which  she  recognized  all  around 
her.     She  was  buried  at  Tamworth,  her  native  place." 

Under  this  deep  sorrow  the  whole  course  of  the  widower's 
life  was  changed.  Though  he  was  afterwards  called  to  the 
Bar,  he  never  resumed  special  pleading.  He  left  his  infant 
son  at  Tamworth,  and  after  once  going  the  Western  Circuit, 
he  changed  his  plan  of  life  and  returned  to  Oxford  to  attend 
divinity  lectures,  and  was  ordained  Deacon  on  Trinity  Sun- 
day, 1813,  at  a  place  with  which  his  son  was  afterwards 
associated,  Quebec  Chapel,  London.  His  character  is  thus 
described  by  a  legal  friend  who  knew  him  intimately^ : — 
"  I  should  say  that  he  had  a  cheerful  and  even  temper,  an 
affectionate  disposition  and  delicate  feelings,  combined  with 
great  courage,  which  prevented  him  from  assenting  to  or 
acquiescing  in  any  thing  he  disapproved  of,  and  yet  screened 
him  from  ever  giving  offence.  He  was  very  sensible  and 
straightforward ;  he  had  not,  I  think,  any  decided  taste  for 
general  literature,  at  least  his  study  appeared  confined  to 
one  science,  and  there  he  was  indefatigable.  He  had  a 
clear,  discriminating,  and,  I  think,  sagacious  mind." 

The  circumstances  connected  with  his  own  birth,  and  his 
earliest  recollections,  are  thus  recorded  by  Henry  Alford  in 
a  memorandum  written  in  1830  when  he  was  at  College  : — 

"I  was  born  7th  October,  1810,  at  No.  25,  Alfred  Place, 
Bedford  Eow,  London.  My  father  then  was  a  special 
pleader,  and  making  rapid  progress  in  legal  eminence. 
About  four  months  after  my  birth,  my  mother  died,  and  this 
severe  stroke  my  father  has  never  recovered.  I  knew  very  little 
of  her,  as  he  seldom  or  never  mentioned  her  to  me,  unwilling. 


2  The  late  W.  H.  Tinney,  Esq.,  Q.C.,  Master  in  Chancery,  -ulio  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty -eight,  in  November,  1871. 
B    2 


4  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap,  I 

doubtless^  to  tear  open  afresh  a  wound  which  time  may  have 
begun  to  heal.  They  say  I  am  very  like  her.  She  was 
buried  at  Tamworth^  and  there  I  was  christened.  My  father^ 
after  her  death^  determined  on  going  into  the  Church.  I 
was  sent  to  Tamworth^  to  my  grandfather  and  grandmother 
and  aunts  there  ;  when  I  was  about  two  years  and  a  half  old 
we  went  into  Somersetshire,  and  arrived  at  Heale  on  the 
night  when  my  cousin  Mary  was  born ;  that  I  distinctly 
remember.  I  have  a  distinct  idea  of  my  cousin  Fanny,  a 
baby.  I  recollect  when  I  was  three  years  old  at  Heale,  Bel, 
who  was  my  nurse,  set  me  on  a  chair,  and  told  me  I  must 
behave  like  a  man,  for  I  was  three  years  old.  My  father  and 
I  went  to  Tamworth.  I  remember  my  grandfather  Paget 
showing  me  what  poppies  were,  and  I  remember  riding 
before  him  on  his  horse  to  Tamworth.  I  remember  singing 
to  the  piano  at  prayers,  and  being  asked  one  morning  to 
choose  a  hymn.  I  remember  having  to  drink  healths  all 
round  one  day  after  dinner,  when  there  was  a  party.  After 
this  (1813)  we  went  to  Steeple  Ashton;  I  remember  the 
very  severe  winter  of  1813-14,  and  I  had  desperate  chilblains, 
I  remember  I  used  to  be  left  at  home  with  '  old  Sarah '  when 
my  father  went  to  church,  and  I  used  to  read  the  '  Pilgrim^  s 
Progress '  to  '  old  Sarah.'  I  pondered  one  day  a  long  time, 
thinking  why  the  word  '  four '  should  signify  the  number 
more  than  any  other  word.  I  remember  a  snow  man 
that  winter  being  made  at  a  house  near  us  on  the  green.  I 
remember  going  with  my  father  to  some  valley,  and  up  to 
a  gate  which  led  out  on  Salisbury  Plain,  and  my  father 
killed  a  snake.  One  day  I  remember  looking  out  of  the 
back  window  and  seeing  my  grandfather's  carriage  coming. 
I  then  went,  I  think,  back  to  Tamworth,  and  stayed  some 
time  under  the  care  of  my  aunts.  We  then  went  to 
Wraxall." 

Here  the  autobiography  ends  abruptly. 

Wraxall  in  Somersetshire  was  his  father's  second  curacy, 
on  which  he  entered  in  the  midsummer  of  1815.  In  1814 
an  aunt  describes  young  Henry  "  as  a  tender,  delicate  plant ; 
his  extreme  sensibility  makes  him  often  ill."   It  was  about  this 


1810-182S]  CJiildJiood.  5 

time,  whilst  lie  was  staying  with  his  grandfather,  Mr.  Paget, 
at  Comberford  Hall,  near  Tamworth,  that  he  had  a  very 
narrow  escape,  to  which  he  often  referred  in  after-life.  As 
he  was  standing  on  the  lawn,  the  scythe  of  the  gardener 
actually  cut  throug-h  his  little  shoe,  without  touching  foot  or 
sock.  This  shoe  was  carefully  preserved  by  his  aunt.  Miss 
Harriet  Paget  (afterwards  Mrs.  Freeman),  residing  near  Tam- 
worth.  >She  was  peculiarly  attached  to  him,  and  through 
her  care  many  memorials  of  his  early  life  were  preserved. 
Already  he  appeared  a  very  precocious  child,  wonderfully 
ready  in  acquiring  knowledge,  and  in  reproducing  what  he 
acquired.  One  of  his  amusements  was  to  make  little  books, 
in  which,  between  the  years  1815 — 1819,  he  wrote  histories, 
or  copied  texts  of  Scripture.  One  of  these  books,  which  is 
preserved,  is  remarkable  as  an  early  indication  of  his  employ- 
ment in  mature  years.  It  was  written  apparently  before  he 
was  six  years  old ;  it  consists  of  fourteen  pages  (five  only 
being  filled),  each  about  three  inches  by  two.  It  is  called 
"  The  Travels  of  St.  Paul,  from  his  Conversion  to  his  Death, 
with  a  book  of  Plates,^'  containing  three  drawings  of  St* 
Paul,  the  Stoning  of  Stephen,  and  the  Conversion.  In  the  text 
these  plates  are  referred  to  by  an  asterisk ;  there  is  also  a  refer- 
ence at  the  word  Damascus  to  "Wells'  Geography,  p.  299." 

Another  little  book,  written  when  he  was  between  eight 
and  nine  years  of  age,  shows  that  his  father  had  made  some 
progress  thus  early  in  teaching  him  Latin.  It  contains 
some  brief  Latin  sentences  (apparently  his  own  composition) 
which  he  entitles  odes.  Another  book,  dated  1819,  contains 
some  fables  evidently  his  own  composition.  There  are  also 
a  prayer  against  evil  thoughts,  and  a  very  short  sermon 
entitled,  "Be  not  conformed  to  this  world.*' 

At  eight  years  old  he  wrote  (probably  under  his  father's 
guidance)  a  chronological  scheme  of  the  Old  Testament, 
called  "  History  of  the  Jews,"  beginning  from  the  Creation 
and  going  down  to  B.C.  456.  This  is  written  in  a  larger- 
sized  book  and  extends  over  fifty  pages.  Another  specimen, 
dated  1820,  of  the  early  bent  of  his  mind  may  be  placed  on 
record  exactly  as  it  is  written. 


6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  I. 

'f  Looking  unto   Jesus,    or    the  believer's  support  under 
trials  and  afflictions. 

"  By  Henry  Alford,  Juu.     1st  edition. 
"  Contents.    Chap.  1 .  What  looking  unto  Jesus  means. 
Chap.  2.  When  we  ought  to  look  to  Jesus. 
Chap.  3.  Looking  unto  Jesus  is  the  believer's 

comfort. 
Chap.  4.  Texts    of     Scripture    which    order 
looking  to  Jesus. 
"Chap.  \.   Looking  unto  Jesus   is   not,   as    some   would 
suppose,  looking  to  him  with  our  bodily  eyes,  for  we  cannot 
see  Jesus  as  the  Apostles  did,  and  other  holy  men ;  but  it  is 
here  taken  in  a  spiritual  sense,  and  means  first,  a  looking 
unto  him  by  faith,  second,  praying  to  him." 

The  other  chapters  are  written  only  in  pencil,  and  con- 
sequently are  scarcely  legible. 

Before  any  of  these  little  books  were  written,  his  father 
was  ordained,  and  went  with  his  son  to  reside  at  Steeple 
Ashton,  as  curate  to  old  Mr.  Samuel  Hey. 

Here  was  his  home  for  two  years,  and  a  recollection  of  his 
intercourse  at  this  time  with  his  father  is  recorded  in  the 
Second  Lesson  of  the  "  School  of  the  Heart.'' 

"  Evening  and  Morning — those  two  ancient  names 
So  link'd  with  childish  wonder,  when  wath  arm 
Fast  wound  about  the  neck  of  one  beloved, 
Oft  questioning,  we  heard  Creation's  tale, 
Evening  and  Morning  brought  to  me  strange  joy." 

His  father  was  his  teacher  and  companion,  and  so  great 
was  his  anxiety  for  his  son,  even  at  that  tender  age,  that  he 
kept  a  daily  account  of  his  conduct. 

The  parochial  work  of  Steeple  Ashton  was  too  hard  for 
his  father's  delicate  health,  and  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
1815,  and  undertook  the  curacy  of  Wraxall,  near  Bristol, 
from  whence  he  took  his  son  on  occasional  visits  both  to  his 
mother's  relations  in  Staffordshire,  and  to  his  father's  rela- 
tions in  Somersetshire. 

In  July,  1815,  he  and  his  father  were  staying  for  a  time  at 


i8io-i828]  Childhood.  7 

Torquay,  where  they  saw  the  "  Bellerophon "  in  which 
Napoleon  was  waiting  to  be  sent  to  St.  Helena^.  To  this 
visit  the  following  passage  from  the  Second  Lesson  of  the 
'^  School  of  the  Heart  ^'  refers. 

"  I  ever  loved  the  ocean,  as  't  had  been 

My  childhood's  playfellow  :  in  sooth  it  was  ; 

For  I  had  built  me  forts  upon  the  sand, 

And  launch'd  my  little  navies  in  the  creeks, 

Careless  of  certain  loss  ;  so  it  would  play, 

Even  as  it  listed  with  them,  I  were  pleased. 

I  loved  to  follow  with  the  backward  tide 

Over  rough  rocks  and  quaintly  delving  pools. 

Till  that  the  laud-cliffs  lessen'd,  and  I  trod 

With  cautious  steps  on  slippery  crags  and  moist, 

With  sea-weed  clothed  like  green  hair  of  nymphs. 

The  Nereids'  votive  hair,  that  on  the  rocks 

They  hang,  when  storms  are  past,  to  the  kind  power 

That  saved  their  sparry  grottoes." 

A  change  was  now  coming  on  the  child's  hitherto  peaceful 
hours  with  his  kind  and  patient  father,  who,  compelled  by 
infirm  health,  gave  up  his  curacy  at  Wraxall,  and  accepted 
an  offer  to  accompany  as  chaplain  the  late  Lord  Calthorpe 
in  a  tour  on  the  Continent.  Accordingly  in  April,  1817,  the 
travellers  left  England,  and  the  little  Henry  was  sent  to  a 
small  school  kept  by  Mr.  Mercy  at  Oharmouth,  in  Dorset- 
shire, from  whence  he  went  to  spend  his  holidays  partly  with 
his  uncle  (the  Eev.  Samuel  Alford)  at  Heale  House ;  and 
partly  with  his  paternal  grandmother,  Mrs.  Alford,  at 
Hminster. 

In  the  ''  School  of  the  Heart ''  he  refers  to  Charmouth  as 
"  that  steep  built  village,  on  the  southern  shore,"  and  speak- 
ing of  it  at  this  time,  he  says, — 

"  Then  with  strange  joy 
Forgetting  all,  I  gazed  upon  that  sea. 
Till  I  could  see  the  white  waves  leaping  up. 
And  all  my  heart  leapt  with  them  : — so  I  past 
Southward,  and  near'd  that  wilderness  of  waves." 

During  his  father's  absence  abroad,  which  lasted  till 
August,  1818,  many  letters  were  written  by  him  which  show 


3  He  set  sail  from  England  July  2-1,  reached  St.  Uelena  August  8,  died 
March,  1821 ;  disinterred  and  taken  to  the  Invalides,  Paris,  1840,  by  Louis 
Philippe. 


8  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  I. 

his  constant  carefulness  for  his  child.  Some  of  them  were 
printed  in  the  "Memorial  of  the  late  Kev.  Henry  Alford/' 
page  53. 

A  fever  which  broke  out  in  Charmouth  in  1818  led  to  the 
withdrawal  of  Henry  from  this  school;  and  on  going  to 
Ilminster  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  whooping-cough. 
Another  ailment,  ophthalmia,  caught  from  an  old  soldier  who 
taught  him  to  ride,  fell  on  him  in  the  following  year. 

In  1819,  his  father  undertook  the  curacy  of  Drayton,  in 
Somersetshire,  and  bought  a  house  in  the  neighbouring  vil- 
lage of  Curry  Rivell,  within  a  mile  of  Heale  House,  where 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Alford  lived  with  his  numerous  children, 
who  were  as  brothers  and  sisters  to  Henry ;  and  here  his 
father  carried  on  for  about  a  year  the  education  of  Henry 
and  some  of  his  cousins.  Once  more  his  father's  useful  life 
was  interrupted  by  a  failure  of  health  and  strength;  and 
Henry  was  again  sent  from  home  for  education  to  Charmouth, 
this  time  to  a  school  kept  by  a  Congregationalist  minister, 
the  E.ev.  B,  Jeanes  ^.  From  this  time  he  seems  to  have 
written  constantly  to  his  father  and  to  his  cousins  at  Heale, 
and  to  his  aunt  in  Staffordshire. 

The  following  letter  is  wintten  to  his  aunt  whilst  he  was 
still  in  his  home  at  Curry ;  and  here,  it  may  be  noted,  we 


•»  In  an  article  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review,"  September,  1866,  p.  57, 
the  Dean  of  Canterbury  has  described  this  teacher  of  his  boyhood,  referring 
to  Mr.  Lyon,  the  Congregationalist  Minister  in  George  Eliot's  novel, 
Felix  Holt.  The  Dean  writes  :— "  It  was  not  our  fortune  to  be  much  iu 
company  with  Independents  at  the  precise  date  given  in  this  story,  but  we 
can  speak  from  experience  of  a  pedagogue  of  that  denomination  in  1820-21, 
and  certainly  talk  from  him  like  that  which  is  attributed  to  old  Mr.  Lyon 
would  have  astonished  his  scholars  not  a  little.  The  characteristics  of  our 
old  friend,  and  of  the  brethren  who  came  to  oiEciate  for  him,  were  rather  an 
avoidance  than  an  inculcation  of  any  thing  like  high  doctrine.  There  was 
an  abundant  flow  of  florid  rhetoric,  garnished  with  frequent  quotations  from 
Dryden  and  Goldsmith ;  not  a  word  of  conversion,  nor  an  approach  to  the 
normal  state  of  religious  thought,  which  George  Eliot  seems  to  imagine 
natural  among  Independents.  One  saying  of  liis  may  be  worth  recalling  : 
—  'You  may  see,'  said  he,  speaking  one  day  of  his  status  as  Dissenter,  'that 
I  am  a  conscientious  Nonconformist,  because  I  regularly  and  cheerfully  pay 
my  church-rates.'  It  was  in  the  midst  of  the  unhappy  strife  which  divided  the 
land  into  King's-men  and  Queen's-men  (the  trial  of  Queen  Caroline) .  Our 
good  old  friend  was  a  staunch  upholder  of  the  injured  Princess,  and 
employed  all  hands  in  the  school  in  decorating  for  the  illumination  on  her 
acquittal.  Peace  to  his  memory,  and  to  the  memory  of  the  days  beforo 
theological  rancour  had  set  in  between  Churchman  and  Dissenter." 


1 8 1  o- 1 8  2  8]  Childhood.  9 

Lave  the  first  indication  from  himself  of  his  love  of  flowers, 
which  afterwards  developed  into  that  taste  for  gardening 
which  was  shown  at  Wymeswold  and  at  Canterbury  : — 

To  Miss  H.  Paget. 

"  Feb.  4,  1820. 

"  My  dear  Aunt, — As  Mr.'  Bird  is  going  to  Lichfield  on 
Saturday,  I  will  now  take  the  liberty  of  writing  a  few  lines  to 
you.  I  have  sent  you  some  flower-seeds,  which  I  hope  you  will 
accept,  as  they  are  the  first-fruits  of  my  garden.  I  have  got 
coming  up  three  hyacinths,  four  crocuses,  four  snowdrops, 
two  tulips,  and  some  more  crocuses  in  a  pot.  Over  the  seed 
that  is  called  convolvulus  major  you  must  place  a  long  stick, 
and  the  plant  will  adhere  to  it  and  crawl  up  it.  The  con- 
volvulus minor  will  grow  to  a  bush  of  itself.  All  the  lupins 
had  better  be  tied  up  to  a  stick.  Yesterday  I  planted  peas, 
and  to-day  beans.  I  have  got  a  green- and-blue  tulip  in  my 
garden.  I  have  sent  you  a  plan  of  my  father^s  house  and 
garden.  I  sleep  in  a  room  by  myself,  and  have  done  for 
half  a  year  nearly,  and  have  got  a  drawer  for  my  playthings, 
a  drawer  for  my  clothes,  a  washing-stand,  a  large  bed,  a 
chest  of  drawers,  a  little  red  box  to  keep  seeds  in  with  two 
bottoms,  half  a  dozen  pill-boxes,  a  large  box  to  keep  my 
books  in,  and  pens  and  slate,  some  silk-worms^  eggs,  an 
Ovid's  Epistles  of  Heroes  in  Latin,  which  I  am  learning, 
Cornelius  Nepos,  Clarke,  and  a  large  Bible  which  my  father 
gave  me.  Please  to  give  my  love  to  my  uncle,  and  tell  him 
I  am  going  to  send  him  a  line.  Believe  me,  my  dear  aunt, 
"  Your  aSectionate  and  dutiful  nephew.'' 

About  a  year  after  this,  he  writes  thus  to  his  father  from 
Mr.  Jeanes'  school : — 

"  Charmouth,  March  10,  1821. 

"My  dear  Father, — As  Mrs.  Shute'^  is  going  to  Heale,  I 
will  now  take  the   opportunity  of  writing  to  you.     I  com- 


■'•  My  maternal  gi'andmotlier,  who  lived  at  Charmouth,  and  was  very  kird 
to  the  motherless  boy.     She  died  in  1824. 


lO  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  I. 

menced  Horace  last  week,  and  to-day  I  have  begun  the 
7th  Ode,  1st  Book/ Laudabunt  ahi/  &c.  We  missed  the  5th 
and  6th  Odes.  I  was  so  pleased  with  your  seal  of  Diogenes, 
and  desire  you  to  send  me  Regulus,  and  also  a  stick  of 
sealing-wax.  I  have  sent  you  one  of  the  Sphinx,  with 
AirTIITOS  on  it,  which  I  beheve  means  Egyptian.  Do 
not  break  the  seal.  I  have  several  bread  seals,  which  is  now 
the  fashion  in  our  school. 

"  We  must  all  die  :  it  is  no  good  to  resist  death.  '  Pallida 
mors  aequo  pulsat  pede  pauperum  tabernas  Regumque 
turres.' — Hot.  I  received  your  letter  yesterday.  My  knee, 
which  was  injured  by  the  bowl,  is  now  very  well.  I  should  be 
very  glad  if  by  Mrs.  Shute  you  would  send  me  some  paper, 
pencils,  string,  a  letter,  and  Is.  ^d.  There  came  a  man  the 
other  day  with  three  very  curious  cards,  containing  an 
alphabet  of  capitals  in  such  a  small  compass  that  I  could 
hardly  read  it ;  the  second  card,  a  perpetual  calendar ;  and 
the  third,  tables,  weights,  and  measures,  elegantly  coloured ; 
all  three  for  a  shilling,  a  set  of  which  I  bought.  I  have  sent 
a  marble  with  my  name  marked  in  it  for  Fanny,  a  curious 
card  of  my  own  marking  to  Shute,  and  another  to  Polly,  and 
another  to  Octavia.  Please  put  3s.  Gt?.  of  my  money  in  the 
Missionary-box  towards  that  Society.  I  was  very  much 
pleased  with  the  seal  of  Brutus  which  you  sent  me.  I  was 
sorry  to  hear  of  the  illness  of  poor  James  House :  I  hope  he 
will  not  die.  And  how  is  old  Betty  Low  ?  I  continue  to 
take  in  the  ^  Cottage  Magazine.'  Please  to  give  my  love  to 
all,  and  accept  the  same  kindly  yourself.  I  shall  write  a 
short  note  to  Fanny.     I  remain 

"  Your  affectionate  son.'' 

The  coast  between  Charmouth  and  Lyme  Regis  is  well 
known  to  students  of  geology  (see  Dr.  Buckland's  "  Bridge- 
water  Treatise,"  vol.  i.  pp.  377,  437),  and  Henry  Alford's 
recollections  of  his  school-boy  days  there  are  recorded  in  an 
article  in  "Dearden's  Miscellany,"  1839,  p.  310. 

"We  remember  in  our  boyish  days  how  we  loved  the 
sea;  how  we  were  at  school  in  a  seaside  village,   a  plea- 


1 8 10-1828]  Childhood.  11 

sant,  warm  nook  on  the  southern  coast;  how  we  used  to 
get  up  soon   after    the    sun  on  the  bright,  warm  summer 
mornings,  and  rush  down  on  the  firm  sands  to  bathe ;  how 
we  used  to  bask  and  sport   in  the  clear,  green  sparkling 
water,  and  run  leaping  and  plunging  into  the  spray,  and  get 
knocked  down  by  the  waves ;  and  then  the  breakfasts  of  hot 
rolls  and  prawns,  and  the  appetite  for  them  !     And  there 
was  a  river,  a  small,  irregular,  alder-fringed,  playful  river, 
full  of  strange  fish,  such  as  inland  streams  yield  not — dabs 
and  flounders,  and  the  like — and  after  spring-tides  or  storms 
this  river  used  to  have  its  course  over  the  beach  changed, 
never  twice  alike.     Sometimes  we  used  to  go  down,  and  find 
it  flowing  in  one  full,  unhindered  stream  into  the  sea,  and 
were  fain  to  strip  and  ford  it  to  pursue  our  path ;  sometimes 
it  was  split  into  two  or  three  respectable  streams,  and  then 
it  was  who  could  leap  them,  and  many  a  ducking  used  there 
to  be;  then,  again,  it  would  trickle  down  in  hundreds  of 
little  rillets  not  shoe- deep,  making  the  pebbles  bright  and 
clear,  like  pearls  and  cornelians  and  onyxes ;  and  sometimes 
it  was  not  traceable  at  all,  but  found  its  way  into  a  bank  of 
pebbles  which  the  waves  had  cast  up,  and  there  sunk  away. 
On  half-holidays  it  used  to  be  put  to  the  vote — the  fields  or 
the  sea  ?  and  our  ra.mbles  were  directed  accordingly.     And 
what  a  beach  it  was  !     Fossils  of  all  descriptions  strewed 
lavishly  about ;  bright  bronzed  ammonites,  or  cornus,  as  we 
called  them ;  other  sparkling  nondescripts,  known  as  mush- 
rooms and  buttons ;  and  many  a   stone,  which  we  polished 
with  sand  and  water.     And  what  a  delight  it  was  to  ramble 
away  at  low  tide  over  the  queer  fields  of  green   sea-weed, 
studded  with  gleaming  pools  of  salt  water  !  and  to   see  the 
awkward  crabs  sideling  away  from  us,  and  the  purple  and 
crimson  and  white  polypi,  with  their  long  fringes  floating  in 
the  hollows  !     And  how  grand  and  glorious  were  the  storms, 
when  we  used  to  sit  all  in  a  heap  on  our  dormitory  window- 
seat,  looking  breathlessly  over  the  meadows  into  the  sea, 
which  flashed,  and  foamed,  and  roared  in   the   moonlight ! 
And  what  fun  was  the  havock  the  next  morning  ! — the  village 
bridge  broken  down,  the  coaches  all  in  a  body  the  other  side 


12  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  I. 

of  the  stream^  now  itself  raging  like  a  sea ;  the  passengers 
crossing  in  boats ;  and  then  the  odd  things  washed  ashore — 
star-fish  and  jelly-fish,  and  shells  of  all  shapes/^ 

About  the  year  1821,  he  made  a  set  of  Hymns,  and  called 
them  "A  Collection  of  Hymns  for  Sundry  Occasions."  One 
specimen  we  will  give  : — 

"  Life  is  a  journey,  heaven  is  our  home, 
While  round  this  wicked  world  we  sinners  roam. 
What  joy  will  fill  the  true  believer's  heart 
When  earth  he  leaves,  from  earth  for  heaven  to  part. 

"  Here  trouble  and  anxiety  distress ; 
There  lasting  joy  and  Jesus'  presence  bless : 
Here  never-failing  sin  and  death  remain ; 
There,  free  from  trouble,  we  with  God  shall  reign. 

"  There  we  no  more  shall  darkly  Him  perceive. 
Whom  to  have  hurt  on  earth  our  hearts  will  grieve, 
But  face  to  face  we  shall  behold  Him  there, 
Exempt  from  fear,  anxiety,  and  care. 

"  Just  as  a  school-boy  longing  for  his  home, 
Leaps  forth  for  gladness  when  the  hour  is  come  ; 
So  true  believers,  eager  for  the  skies. 
Released  by  death,  on  wings  of  triumph  rise." 

The  longing  expressed  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  verse, 
may  have  been  felt  with  peculiar  strength,  from  his  experi- 
ence in  the  new  school  to  which  he  was  removed  in  the 
autumn  of  1821.  It  was  kept  by  Mr.  Elwell  at  Hammer- 
smith, and  his  reminiscences  of  his  time  spent  there  were 
not  the  happiest  of  his  school  life. 

In  the  winter  of  1821,  he  accompanied  his  father  on  a  visit 
to  Lord  Calthorpe,  at  Ampton  Hall.  Whilst  on  this  visit  he 
wrote  the  following  letter  to  his  aunt :  — 

To  Miss  H.  Paget. 

"  Amiiton  Rail,  Dec.  30,  1822. 

"  My  deae  Aunt, — You  received,  I  hope,  my  letter  from 
London.  I  came  here  on  Tuesday  week  in  the  Bury  coach 
and  arrived  about  six  in  the  evening.  The  house  is  in  the 
form  of  an  E,  with  a  modern  front  on  the  back  of  the  E. 
It  stands  in  a  large  park  which  is  well  wooded  with  cedar 
and  firs,  and  such  like  trees.     In  it  there  is  a  large  lake 


1 8 1  o- 1 8  2  8]  Childhood.  1 3 

(about  three  times  as  big  as  the  pond  at  Lichfield)  which  is 
now  quite  frozen  over^  so  that  we  have  famous  skating  and 
sHding  on  it.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  game  about  here^ 
such  as  partridges,  pheasants,  hares,  and  rabbits,  and,  conse- 
quently, there  are  a  great  many  poachers  about  here,  most 
of  the  people  in  Bury  Gaol  are  poachers.  The  other  day 
there  was  a  hare  frozen  into  the  ice,  which  was  about  four 
inches  thick.  I  went  to  work  with  hatchets  and  pickaxes, 
knives,  &c.,  and  got  it  out ;  but,  alas  !  the  ice  magnified  it, 
for  never  did  I  see  such  a  skinny,  poor  lean  thing,  in  all  my 
life.  It  was  not  worth  carrying  home,  so  I  left  it  down  at 
the  lake.  There  are  no  deer  in  this  park,  but  in  a  gen- 
tleman^'s  park  that  is  only  separated  from  this  by  some 
rails  there  are  a  great  many. 

^'I  will  tell  you  in  what  manner  we  spend  the  day.  At  eight 
o^clock  the  bell  rings  to  get  up,  but  we  generally  get  up  before 
to  skate  and  slide,  &c.  At  nine  the  bell  rings  for  prayers, 
when  we  all  assemble  in  the  hall,  and  Lord  Calthorpe  expounds 
a  chapter  and  prays,  which  generally  takes  up  till  ten,  when 
we  go  to  breakfast ;  after  breakfast  we  separate,  and  go  out 
or  do  what  we  like  till  two,  when  the  bell  rings  for  luncheon, 
which  takes  up  but  very  little  time.  After  luncheon  we 
separate  as  before  till  five  o'clock,  when  the  first  bell  rings 
to  dress  for  dinner ;  at  half-past  five  the  bell  rings  again  to  go 
into  the  dining-room  for  dinner,  which  takes  us  up  altogether 
till  half-past  seven,  when  we  retire  into  the  drawing-room, 
where  tea  and  cofiee  are  immediately  brought  in ;  we  remain 
there  till  the  bell  rings  for  prayers,  which  are  the  same  as  in 
the  morning,  only  no  expounding ;  after  prayers  we  some 
of  us  go  to  bed,  others  stay  longer. 

^'  Your  most  affectionate  nephew. 

"  P.S. — Lord  Calthorpe  is  such  a  nice  man,  his  crest  is 
two  men  with  clubs,  standing  on  each  side  of  a  boar's 
head.  I  cannot  send  a  seal,  as  my  father  is  going  to  en- 
close this  in  his  letter;  however  I  can  send  you  the  seal 
of  my  affection  for  you,  which  will  never  be  erased  from  my 
mind." 


14  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  I. 

Some  pieces  in  verse  and  prose  are  preserved  which  seem 
to  have  been  written  by  him  in  his  holidays  about  this  time. 
They  relate  to  subjects  which  occupied  his  mind  in  later 
years ;  one  is  entitled,  "  The  Believer^s  Home/^  one  is  on 
"  The  Improvement  of  Time." 

There  is  also  a '^Litany,"  an  address  on  the  "Bible  So- 
ciety," and  an  essay  on  "  The  All-sufficiency  of  God,"  and  a 
little  book  entitled,  "  Christianity  Extended." 

In  the  Christmas  of  1823  he  left  Hammersmith,  and  was 
sent  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1824  to  Ilminster  Gram- 
mar School,  almost  within  sight  of  his  father's  house  at 
Curry.  This  change  was  most  agreeable  to  his  own  wishes. 
Mr.  Allen,  the  head  master,  was  one  who  could  discover  and 
appreciate  the  peculiarities  of  his  pupiFs  character,  and  give 
that  kind  of  training  which  was  best  calculated  to  develope 
his  abilities.  The  time  which  he  spent  at  this  school,  three 
years  and  a  half,  was  full  of  happiness,  and  marked  by  an 
uninterrupted  progress.  In  after-life  he  often  spoke  most 
gratefully  and  affectionately  of  Mr.  Allen  and  his  wife,  who 
showed  a  careful  interest  in  her  husband's  pupils.  She  still 
survives  (1871)  her  husband :  and  the  following  lines,  ex- 
tracted from  a  letter  recently  written  by  her,  contain  her 
recollections  of  Henry  Alford  as  a  schoolboy.  She  recalls 
the  image  of  'Hhe  delicate,  gentle  boy,  whose  wondrous 
powers  of  memory  were  shown  at  a  standing-up  "  (a  Win- 
chester exercise),  able,  when  put  on  at  the  will  of  the  examiner, 
to  repeat  an  immense  number  of  lines  in  Greek,  Latin,  and 
English.  She  remembers  among  his  peculiar  amusements  a 
practice  of  cutting  out  shades  to  represent  the  head  of  the 
Blessed  Saviour,  and  other  objects;  his  arrangement  of 
fragments  of  glass  to  imitate  peals  of  bells,  and  his  habit  of 
writing  verses.  In  connexion  with  this,  she  remembers  as 
the  cause  of  the  only  habitual  complaint  against  him  his  in- 
clination, which  many  impositions  failed  to  correct,  to  write 
in  forbidden  hours  of  and  to  the  members  of  his  home  circle. 
She  remembers  only  one  evil  tendency  which  seemed  to  be 
sufficiently  marked  to  rouse  his  teacher's  apprehension,  and 
that  was  selfishness,  which,"  she  says,  "  as  being  so  entirely 


1810-1828]  Boyhood.  15 

one,  I  only  mention,  to  show  my  desire  to  tell  you  all  I  can, 
and  to  be  impartial/^ 

The  feelings  which  impelled  him  to  keep  up  so  frequent  a 
correspondence  with  his  cousins  are  expressed  in  one  of  the 
letters  of  this  period.  He  says,  "  It  has  pleased  God  that  I 
should  be  blessed  with  neither  brothers  nor  sisters  :  this  is  a 
misfortune  at  which  I  have  often  grieved,  and  (I  blush  to  own 
it)  have  sometimes  even  repined.  Since  this,  therefore,  is 
the  case,  I  must  write  to  my  cousins,  and  I  must  have  some 
one  to  whom  I  may  write  fully  and  freely ;  therefore  don't 
deny  me  this  pleasure.'' 

Times  and  seasons  much  affected  him  at  that  age.  On  the 
approach  of  his  fourteenth  birthday,  October  6,  1824,  he 
says  to  his  Cousin  Fanny  (afterwards  his  wife),  "What  a 
different  sensation  the  mention  of  the  7th  of  October  pro- 
duces in  me  now  from  what  it  did  formerly.  I  think  now 
upon  the  troubles  and  temptations  which  I  must  necessarily 
be  exposed  to,  and  tremble  at  the  prospect  of  them.  I  think 
on  the  many  snares  which  necessarily  await  me  in  the  gaieties 
and  frivolous  pleasures  of  youth,  and  fear  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  withstand  them.  I  look  on  the  vices  and  failures  I 
think  I  have  discovered  iti  myself,  and  which  others  have 
mentioned  to  me  in  my  character,  and  think  that  the  nearer 
approach  of  manhood  can  but  confirm  these  in  me  and  stifle 
what  little  seeds  of  virtue  it  has  pleased  God  to  implant  in 
me.  My  two  greatest  failings  among,  as  you  know,  many 
thousand  others  are  idleness  and  inconstancy ;  when  I  under- 
take a  thing  I  set  about  it  eagerly,  and  I  have  no  doubt  if 
I  continued  it  all  the  way  through  should  not  make  a  bad 
job  of  it  (as  we  say  in  this  country),  but  my  ardour  is 
like  a  storm,  it  soon  abates,  and  leaves  behind  it  a  sort  of 
lethargy." 

To  the  same  cousin  he  writes  : — 

To  Miss  Fanny  Alfoed. 

"  August  8,  1825. 

"You  have  been  confirmed;  an  event  no  less  important 
as  it  regards  your  advancing  years,  than  as  it  respects  your 


1 6  Life  of  Dam  Alford.  [Chap.  I. 

serious  views  aud  eternal  welfare.  I  hope  you  have  thought 
more  seriously  of  religion  since  you  have  been  confirmed ;  in 
my  letters  I  have  often  mentioned  these  things  to  you,  and 
more  and  oftener  perhaj3S  than  you  have  liked.  But  I  am 
afraid  that  my  conduct  has  not  been  on  a  level  with  the 
standard  which  I  have  prescribed  in  my  letters  :  indeed  the 
negligence  and  pride  of  my  youth,  the  thoughtlessness  to 
which  I  am  so  prone,  and  the  weight  of  sin  so  pressing  upon 
me,  often,  much  too  often,  lead  me  into  follies  and  excesses, 
which  in  my  more  sober  and  thoughtful  hours  I  bewail  and 
repent  of.  Example  is  a  great  thing  to  those  who  pretend  to 
give  advice  to  others.  I  need  not  explain  to  you  (as  I,  of 
course,  think  you  know  it  already)  the  serious  nature  of  the 
engagement  you  have  entered  into.  You  will  not  be  offended 
if  I  insert  a  few  short  maxims  for  behaviour  which  I  once  laid 
down  for  myself,  but,  alas  !  I  have  but  badly  observed : — 

''  1 .  When  about  to  do  any  thing,  first  consider  whether 
it  pleases  God,  then  if  others  would  like  it,  and  lastly  whether 
myself. 

"2.  When  inclined  to  passion  or  anger,  to  stop  and  con- 
sider God  sees  me. 

"3.  Never  dispute  any  trifling  thing  with  any  one,  even 
though  I  should  be  in  the  right. 

"  4.  Whenever  any  one  calls  me  names  or  otherwise  re- 
proaches me,  to  return  it  by  saying,  perhaps  I  may  be  what 
you  say ;  or,  perhaps  I  may  have  done  it. 

'^5.  To  weigh  a  question  before  I  trouble  others  by  asking 
it,  whether  or  not  it  is  of  any  consequence,  if  not,  to  drop  it. 

''  6.  Never  to  be  ashamed  of  any  thing  which  is  right  by 
God^s  law. 

"  7.  Never  to  affect  any  thing,  but  follow  nature. 

"  8.  In  company  to  consider  myself  absent. 

'^  9.  In  study  to  consider  all  others  absent. 

"10.  To  try  persuasion  as  far  as  possible  in  every  thing 
before  I  enter  upon  force. 

"11.  Strictly  to  adhere  to  truth  in  every  thing  in  re- 
lations, that  is,  narratives  of  any  thing  I  have  undergone  or 
seen,  rather  to  speak  within  the  mark  than  otherwise ;  and  if 


i8io^i82S]  At  School.  17 

there  be  any  tiling  which  I  exaggerate^  to  let  it  be  my  own 
vices  and  failures. 

'^'^  12.  To  pray  incessantly  to  God  that  He  would  send  me 
grace  to  perform  these  resolutions^  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord." 

On  his  fifteenth  birthday  he  sends  an  address  in  poetry  to 
his  father,,  who  replied  in  a  letter  which  has  been  published 
in  "Memorial  of  the  Rev.  H.  Alford/'  page  82. 

The  following  extracts  from  it  will  show  with  what  judi- 
cious and  tender  sympathy  the  father  soothed  his  son's 
ardent  temperament  without  discouraging  the  natural 
exercise  of  his  promising  talents  : — 

"Beware,  my  dear  boy,  how  you  indulge  in  poets'  dreams, 
which  are  proverbially  unreal.  Bring  your  mind  to  view 
things  through  a  more  sober  medium,  and  lower  your 
expectations  of  happiness  from  earthly  objects.  Thus  you 
will  experience  fewer  disappointments,  and  have  a  more  real 
enjoyment  of  the  comforts  which  this  chequered  life  aflFords. 
On  the  other  hand,  do  not  give  way  to  a  gloomy  and  melan- 
choly state  of  mind.  Refuse  not  to  gather  the  flowers, 
though  they  be  but  daisies  and  buttercups,  with  which  it 
pleases  God  sometimes  to  strew  the  path  of  life;  but  re- 
member that  perennial  and  thornless  flowers  bloom  only  in 
the  Paradise  above." 

His  tendency  to  judge  himself  with  severity,  and  his 
desire  to  exercise  a  religious  influence  on  his  associates,  are 
shown  in  a  letter  to  his  cousin  and  schoolfellow,  Walter 
Alford,  a  youth  only  three  years  older  than  himself. 

The  letter  is  dated  from  Winkfield,  a  village  near  Bradford 
in  Wiltshire,  where  his  father  resided  as  curate  between  the 
summer  of  1825  and  October,  1826,  when  he  removed  "to 
Ampton,  Suffolk,  the  rectory  of  which  was  presented  to  him 
by  Lord  Calthorpe. 

To  Walter  Aleokd. 

"  Dec.  31,  1825. 
"  Poor  old  1 825  is  now  stretched  on  his  dying  bed,  with 
all  his  friends  around  him,  and  ready  to  breathe  his  last. 
People  seem  very  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  old  fellow,  for  they 

c 


l8  Life  of  Dean  A/ford.  [Chap.  I. 

salute  liim  off  with  bolls  and  rejoicing.  He  has  been  the 
death  of  many,  and  will  be  the  doom  in  judgment  to  many 
more;  to-morrow  will  be  1826. 

"  I  well  remember  when  I  might  have  said,  to-morrow  will 
be  1814.  Twelve  years  have  gone  since  that,  and  what  use 
have  I  made  of  them  ?  Why,  as  good  as  none.  I  have  been 
trifling  away  what  has  been  more  important,  if  possible,  than 
life  itself,  and  shall  still  continue  to  do  so,  till  I  not  only 
know  but  feel  the  precious  worth  of  time.  God  grant  that 
I  soon  may ;  I  have  now  no  time  to  lose,  but  am  continually 
doing  so  for  want  of  firmness  of  character  and  steady  appli- 
cation. I  have  a  study  here,  and  all  my  books  about  me,  and 
a  nice  fire,  but  the  misfortune  of  it  is,  that  I  am  so  confound- 
edly lazy  and  idle.  There  is  a  great  difference,  though  you  may 
not  think  it,  in  these  two  words.  Laziness  is  that  kind  of 
stupid  mood  when  one  stretches  oneself,  and  yawns,  and 
wishes  it  were  the  next  meal.  Idleness,  on  the  contrary,  is 
the  sitting  with  one's  books  before  one,  and  scribbling 
poetry,  or  reading  names  in  the  dictionary,  or  talking  with 
your  neighbour.  We  might  encourage  one  another  in  good 
practices;  we  should  have  no  very  inconsiderable  influence 
on  those  about  us ;  let  us  discontinue  all  improper  and 
irreligious  conversation,  let  it  be  with  whom  it  will,  at  school 
and  at  home,  as  far  as  our  influence  extends  to  discoun- 
tenance such  talk  in  others :  will  not  you  join  with  me  in  a 
practice  which  may  be  beneficial  both  to  ourselves  and  others  ? 
I  am  persuaded  you  will,  and  not  only  so,  but  will  set  me 
an  example  of  following  this  precept." 

In  another  letter  to  Walter,  dated  July  25,  1826,  after 
describing  an  excursion  with  his  father  up  the  Wye,  he  thus 
adverts  to  his  confirmation.  "  I  am,  you  know,  about  to  be 
confirmed,  about  to  enter  on  a  solemn  covenant  with  God,  to 
renounce  the  pomps  and  Vanities  of  this  wicked  world,  and 
all  the  sinful  lusts  of  the  flesh ;  about  to  profess  a  public 
belief  of  all  the  articles  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  to  endea- 
vour, by  God's  help,  to  keep  His  holy  will  and  command- 
mandments,  and  to  walk  in  the  same  all  the  days  of  my  life : 
what  a   solemn  covenant  is  this  !     If  we  regard  covenants 


1810-182S]  At  School.  19 

made  with  our  fellow-creatures  as  sacred^  and  not  to  be 
broken  through,  what  should  we  think  of  a  covenant  made 
with  the  Father  of  spirits?  I  am  afraid  that  indeed  I 
often  shall  break  through  it.  I  hope  God  will  grant  me 
seriousness  on  that  occasion." 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Henry  Alford  appears  to  have 
begun  the  practice  of  keeping  a  daily  record  of  his  pursuits 
and  feelings.  His  journals,  extending  over  forty-four  years, 
still  remain.  A  few  years  before  his  death,  he  came  across 
these  earlier  volumes,  that  had  long  been  laid  by  and  for- 
gotten, and  he  was  on  the  point  of  destroying  them  when 
his  intention  accidentally  became  known  to  his  wife,  and 
in  deference  to  her  entreaty  he  spared  them,  and  gave  them 
to  her  custody.  It  is  obvious  that  they  were  written  for  his 
own  eye  alone ;  but  some  portions  of  them  may,  without 
impropriety,  be  used  to  serve  the  purpose  of  this  book,  which 
IS  to  delineate  his  character,  and  record  the  principal  inci- 
dents of  his  life.  The  entries  of  the  first  week  will  be 
extracted  almost  verbatim,  as  a  specimen  of  the  whole.  In 
these  memoranda  it  will  be  instructive  and  pleasing  to  trace 
the  early  germs  of  most  of  those  varied  gifts  which  distin- 
guished him  in  later  years.  Not  only  the  ardour  with  which 
he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  classics,  and  mathematics 
and  general  literature ;  to  music,  and  drawing,  and  mechani- 
cal contrivances,  and  his  strong  love  for  poetry,  and  preco- 
cious facility  for  composition;  but  also  the  constant  com- 
munion of  his  soul  with  God,  his  unselfish  desire  to  live  for 
the  service  and  pleasure  of  those  who  were  nearest  to  him ; 
his  industry  and  activity,  amounting  almost  to  restlessness, 
may  be  traced  in  the  following  record  of  a  week. 

"  Winkfield,  Friday  Night,  Juhj  28,  1826. 

"  Eeceived  my  ^  Burton  Pynsent '  from  Messrs.  Baldwin 
and  Cradock  [see  page  23] ,  with  a  kind  note  ;  rose  at  seven, 
made  a  sundial,  learnt  some  tunes,  among  which  the  bass  of 
the  Evening  Hymn. 

"  Sunday,  July  30. — Mr.  Longmire  performed  the  morn- 
ing service,  text,  Eev.  xii.  10,  sermon  half  an  hour  long.  My 
father's  afternoon^s  text,  Acts  viii.  17,  half  an  hour  long; 
c  2 


20  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  I, 

read  tlie  lessons  for  Mm;  eveniDg  lecture  on  Confirmation 
read  Deut.  viii.  to  xi.  at  night. 

^'  July  31. — Added  a  month's  index  to  my  sun-dial^  wrote 
out  two  tunes  for  the  singers^  read  a  bit  of  Foster's  essays 
on  the  term  '  Eomantic ; '  (remember,  the  clock  is  ten  minutes 
slower  than  the  sun)  intensely  hot,  thunder,  rain,  and  light- 
ning, bed  at  eleven.  t«  6ea>  So^a,  09  ifxavTov  cltto  tcov  rr}? 
r)/jLepa^  KLvhvvwv  ecraxre. 

"Aug.  1. — Rose  at  six,  arranged  octaves  of  musical 
glasses,  no  use,  could  not  make  them  answer.  Read  part  of 
the  life  of  Rev.  D.  Brown  by  Mr.  Simeon;  after  dinner 
walked  a  little  with  my  father ;  he  remarked  that  there  are 
moments  when,  if  we  could  look  no  farther  than  this  world, 
we  should  be  truly  the  most  miserable  of  men,  and  that  ever 
since  my  dear  mother^s  death  he  had  no  one  to  whom  he 
could  open  his  mind ;  why  may  not  I  become  such  ?  cannot 
I  try  to  accommodate  my  habits  to  his,  my  notions  to  his, 
and  to  soothe  and  allay  his  sorrows ;  (five  o'clock)  came  into 
my  room  and  prayed  for  grace  to  do  so,  may  God  grant 
this  prayer.  I  am  constantly  making  resolutions,  and  as 
constantly  breaking  through  them,  O  may  they  not  rise  up 
in  judgment  against  me  in  the  last  day ;  where,  0  Lord,  can 
I  then  fly  ?  whither  can  I  take  refuge  ?  my  head  knowledge 
says  to  Christ,  my  heart  gives  me  no  answer.  It  is  the 
contrary  in  spiritual  from  what  it  is  in  worldly  matters; 
there  if  the  arrow  reach  the  heart,  immediate  death  ensues ; 
till  Grod's  arrow  reach  it  there  can  be  no  life ;  draw  Thy  bow, 
0  Lord,  make  ready  Thy  shaft ;  send  it,  O  Lord,  deep  into  this 
wall  of  stone ;  Thou  before  whom  the  mountains  melt, 
canst  Thou  not  melt  this  rock  of  my  heart  ?  Prayer  is 
irksome  to  begiu,  how  sweet  when  begun.  Evening,  read 
Romans  xiii.  and  xiv.  in  Greek,  had  a  conversation  with  my 
father  on  these  subjects;  even  in  writing  a  journal  Satan 
sometimes  says  *  well  done,'  and  so  elates  the  heart.  N.B. — 
Avoid  argument.  Went  to  Ti'owb ridge  and  bought  ^Hervey's 
Meditations' for  Fanny,  and  'Falconer's  Shipwreck' for  myself. 

"  Aug.  3. — Read  some  of  Mr.  Brown's  life  :  may  I  be 
enabled  to  imitate  Mm  in  his  zeal  for  God  and  in  his  private 


1810-1828]  At  School.  21 

practical  piL  :  must  leani  Hebrew.  My  father  gave  me 
Wolfe^s  Remai  He  talked   of  the  stings   of  conscience 

after  the  death  ol     ^riend, 

''Aug.  4. — Read^  jr  rather  devoured  Falconer's  'Ship- 
wreck,' certainly  not  inferior,  but  much  otherwise  to  any 
thing  Walter  Scott  ever  produced.  A  thunderstorm  coming 
on.  '  Tu  me,  Deus,  per  noctem  e  periculis  eripe,  Sancto  tuo 
Spiritu  illumina  ut  ab  impuris  omnibus  et  levibus  cogita- 
tionibus  abstineam  et  in  te  mediter.     Amen.' 

"Aug.  5. — Rose  at  half-past  six,  read  twenty-four  Pro- 
positions of  Euclid ;  after  breakfast  read  '  Bridge's  Algebra' 
to  adfected  Quadratic  Equations,  tried  Hebrew,  and  wrote 
out  an  alphabet ;  no  Grammar,  only  a  Dictionary ;  must  apply 
at  Christmas.  After  dinner  translated  the  Latin  notes  in 
'  Hervey's  Meditations '  for  Fanny,  the  verse  into  verse, 
the  prose  into  prose,  and  marked  some  passages  in  Hervey, 
'  Among  the  Tombs,'  and  '  On  a  Flower  Garden.'  Evening, 
played  the  flute,  practised  my  tunes,  and  now  another  week 
is  ended.  Do  Thou,  0  God,  forgive  me  all  the  sins  I  have 
committed  therein,  and  keep  me,  during  the  following  and 
every  week,  from  adding  to  the  number  of  my  transgres- 
sions. May  the  knowledge  which  I  may  acquire  not  puff 
me  up,  but  rather  humble  me,  as  always  finding  out  more 
which  I  ought  to  learn. 

"  Aitg.  7. — Rose  at  six,  read  Euclid,  cut  fragments  from 
newspapers,  drew  a  likeness  of  myself.  Evening,  thought 
on  confirmation ;  may  I  truly  be  able  to  take  upon  myself 
these  promises  and  vows,  and  perform  them  to  the  utmost 
of  my  power;  Lord,  give  me  grace  to  do  so. 

"  Aug.  8. — Rose  at  half-past  five,  read  Algebra  and  Greek 
Testament,  made  a  secret  drawer  in  my  writing-desk.  My 
father  showed  me  a  memorandum  of  my  mother's.  When  I 
consider  my  ingratitude  to  him  and  God,  for  the  many 
favours  received  by  me,  I  am  ready  to  sink  as  it  were  into 
nothing  with  shame  and  abhorrence  with  myself.  Copied 
out  Lonsdale's  L.  M.  tune.  Talked  with  my  father  of  my 
poem  of  the  Crusades.  Entered  too  much  into  argu- 
ment;   I    must   keep   in   my   feelings.     I    sometimes    feel 


2  2  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  I. 

carried  away  with  that  romantic  spirit,  that  I  want,  oh  I 
want  to  write ;  I  want  to  produce  something  famous ;  but 
my  mind  is  so  full  of  things  that  I  don^t  know  what  to  say, 
just  so  now. 

"  Pie  Jesu  Domine, 
Dona  inihi  requiem.     Amen. 
O  !  ab  hcedis  me  sequestra 
Statuens  in  parte  dextra. 

"  0  for  a  spark  of  living  fire 
That  blazed  in  Wolfe's  poetic  lyre  ! 
O  for  a  brand  from  out  the  flame 
That  burns  in  Byron's  endless  fame ! 

"  Or  rather  for  a  sacred  breath 
From  old  Isaiah's  fragrant  wreath ; 
To  sing  in  bright,  in  rapturous  lays 
My  glorious  Maker's  worthy  praise. 

"Aug.  9. — Read  Euclid.  Took  a  drawing  of  the  parson- 
age from  the  wood,  in  a  blank  page  of  '  Hervey's  Medita- 
tions^ for  Fanny,     The  church  I  have  begun  there  too. 

"  My  father  read  some  of  Mr.  Marshes  letters  to  him  in 
1808-11.  The  confirmation  as  it  approaches  nearer  and 
nearer,  in  reality  seems  to  recede  further  and  further  from 
my  heart.  O  Lord,  do  thou  fix  firmly  on  it  the  vows  I  am 
about  to  confirm  in  my  own  name,  and  assist  me  in  tho 
right  performance  of  them. 

"  Lord,  I  my  vows  to  Thee  renew ; 
Scatter  my  sins  as  morning  dew  ; 
Guard  my  first  spring  of  thought  and  will, 
And  with  Thyself  my  spirit  fill. 

"  Aug.  10. — Eead  Euclid.  Completed  my  sketch  of 
Winkfield  Church,  Set  to  music  one  verse  of  Wolfe^s 
'Not  a  drum  was  heard.^  Finished  my  Ode  on  F.^s  birth- 
day." 

In  addition  to  the  journal  from  which  the  foregoing 
extracts  are  taken,  another  memorial  is  preserved  of  the 
thoughts  and  feelings  which  were  stirring  in  him  during  his 
pupilage  at  Ilminster.  His  "  Commonplace  Books  "  of  this 
date  contain  about  150  pieces  of  poetry,  original  and  trans- 
lated, in  English  and  Latin,  interspersed  with  drawings  and 
musical  airs.     The  longest  poems  are  in  blank  verse.     One 


1810-1828]  At  School.  23 

entitled  "Burton  Pynsent/''  in  705  lines^,  with,  a  Preface  and 
NoteSj  whiclij  as  the  journal  has  already  recorded,,  he  offered 
to  a  London  publisher. 

Another  an  unfinished  drama^  entitled  "  The  Persecution 
under  Diocletian."  Some  of  the  smaller  poems  on  subjects 
of  passing  interest  were  published  in  the  country  papers. 
A  few  specimens  of  this  collection  of  poems  may  be  interest- 
ing to  the  reader. 

TRANSLATION  (Antigone,  775)  SOPHOCLES. 

"  0  Love,  that  in  the  dimpled  clieek 
Of  virgin  youth  dost  dwell, 
Nought  can  thy  powerful  influence  break, 

Nor  e'en  all  conquering  riches  can  avail : 
Thou  rid'st  triumphant  on  the  waves, 
And  mak'st  the  abject  wind  thy  slaves  ; 
All  feel  alike  thy  thrilling  power, 
Both  goda  above  and  men  below." 

ODE  TO  MUSIC. 

lEEEGULAR. 

"  I  had  the  note  !  ah !  was  not  that  a  part .? 

These  should  be  they  !  ah  !  treacherous  heart ! 
'Tis  gone  !     The  melody  evades  my  art! 

Hush,  let  fav'ring  silence  reign  ! 

There  !  I  touch' d  the  string  again  ! 
These  are  the  notes — once  more  with  pleasuj-e 
My  ear  recalls  the  favourite  measure  ! 

Move  with  gentle  cadence  on, 

All  ye  harsher  sounds  be  gone,"  &c.  &c. 

Bei^t.  1825. 

This  Ode  goes  on  in  this  wild  strain  for  about  fifty  more 

lines. 

MY  MOTHER'S  GRAVE,  TAM WORTH. 

"  My  mother,  if  thy  spirit  blest, 
Enthroned  in  bliss  on  high, 
Can  from  its  place  of  endless  resb, 

'Midst  joys  that  never  die, 
One  placid  look  of  pity  cast 
Upon  life's  troubled  scene, 
Behold  thy  son." 

1825. 

MORNING  PRAYER. 

"  Through  the  night  Thy  love  hath  spared  me  j 
Lord,  accept  my  morning  praise  : 
O  bo  with  me,  keep  and  guard  me 
This  and  all  my  future  days. 


24  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap. 


When  assfiultecl  by  temptation, 

0  permit  me  not  to  fall  ; 
May  Thy  love  and  consolation 

Bless  my  meat,  my  drink,  my  all.' 


EVENING  PRAYER. 

■  Guard  me,  0  Thou  gracious  Saviour, 

Through  the  perils  of  this  night : 
Let  Thy  presence  and  Thy  favour 
Turn  my  darkness  into  light. 

'  Whether  waking,  Lord,  or  sleeping. 

May  my  thoughts  be  still  on  Thee  ; 
Take  me  to  Thy  care  and  keeping. 
Watch,  preserve,  and  comfort  me." 


In  an  article  in  Dearden's  "Miscellany,"  1840,  vol.  iii., 
he  thus  speaks  of  his  poetical  taste  at  this  time,  and  his 
schoolboy  days  at  Ilminster. 

"  It  was  in  the  month  of  May,  1826,  that  we  first  became 
acquainted  with  the  poems  of  Byron.  It  was  such  a  May  as 
glows  over  all  nature  while  we  are  now  writing.  Balmy  and 
Yoiceful  and  flowerful ;  a  season  which  always  affects  the 
mind  (for  what  reasons  we  inquire  not  now)  with  an  unde- 
fined, faint  melancholy  languor,  which,  however,  ranges  side 
by  side  with  the  purest  and  deepest  joy  arising  from  the 
loveliness  of  all  around;  is  not  this  a  mode  for  reading 
Byron  ?  Those  who  know  the  town  of  Ilminster,  in  Somerset- 
shire, know  also  a  quaint  and  mossy  hill  rising  to  the  south- 
west of  the  town,  and  retaining  from  its  ancient  tenants  the 
name  of  Heron  Hill.  Far  across  the  timbered  vales  and 
green  hill-tops  may  be  seen  its  clump  of  dark  firs ;  and 
wide  and  glorious  is  the  prospect  which  he  may  see  stretched 
beneath  him,  who  walks  therein,  or  lies,  as  we  lay  in  our 
schoolboy  days,  half  covered  with  scented  woodbine  and 
bright  blue  periwinkle,  looking  through  the  old  trunks  of 
those  same  windy  giants.  Here  in  those  golden  days  of 
schoolboys,  yclept  half- holidays,  did  we  repair,  and  amidst 
the  speaking  beauties  of  nature,  did  we  read  and  read  again, 
even  till  they  became  part  of  our  minds,  the  '  thoughts  that 
breathe  and  words  that  burn '  of  Byron.  The  underlying 
town,  with  its  rosy  belt  of  blossoming  orchards,  and  vene- 


iSio-iSaS]  At  ScJlOoI.  25 

rable  fretted  tower^  the  misty  woods  stretched  aWay  into  faint 
distance^  the  uplands  and  bright  green  flats^  and  the  far  off 
blue  of  the  everlasting  hills,  are  bound  up  in  our  recollec- 
tion with  many  a  passage  in  '  Childe  Harold/  and  the  repe- 
tition of  the  well-known  lines,  brings  about  us  the  air  of 
spring,  the  scent  of  hawthorn  and  woodbine,  and  the  hum 
and  song  of  the  happy  legions  of  air.  What  wonder  then  if 
we  became  idolizers  of  Byron  ?  What  wonder  if  even  now, 
when  we  can  read  him  '  with  calmer  pulse  and  judgment 
more  attent,'  our  hearts  still  dwell  fondly  round  those  old 
poetic  haunts,  and  receive  pleasure  from  those  same  strains  !  ^' 

A  few  more  extracts  from  his  journal  may  be  introduced 
by  the  following  letter  to  his  cousin,  Mary  Alford,  afterwards 
Mrs.  Trenchard. 

"  Oct.  3,  1826. — I  am  now  pretty  well  got  into  my  school 
business  again ;  ^tis  plod,  plod,  plod,  step  by  step,  dull  work, 
but  I  have  to  console  myself,  while  labouring  up  the  hill,  on 
the  fine  prospect  and  fresh  breezes  I  shall  enjoy  on  the  top, 
should  I  ever  arrive  there.  Diligence,  my  dear  Mary,  is  the 
only  way  of  becoming  famous  or  acquitting  yourself  honour- 
ably in  any  station  of  life ;  it  is  what  you  owe  to  yourself 

and  to  Him  who  gave  you  your  talents When  we 

are  a  little  put  out  of  our  way,  then  it  is  those  Christian 
graces,  humility,  resignation,  and  meekness,  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  shining  forth  to  the  glory  of  God  in  Christ.  It  is 
not  going  over  a  smooth  and  even  road  which  tries  the 
springs  of  a  carriage ;  but  when  the  road  is  rough  and  the 
ruts  deep,  and  the  stones  high,  then  it  is  that  we  fear  the 
springs,  and  that  their  goodness  or  badness  appears. 

''  You  seem  to  like  that  which  really  constitutes  a  letter, 
viz.  mutual  advice  and  comfort. ^^ 

Extracts  from  his  journal : — 

" Ilminster,  Oct.  4. — Eose  at  six,  learnt  Wolsey^s  lamenta- 
tion on  his  greatness.  Began  copying  the  anthem.  Verses, 
subject,  '  The  restoration  of  the  Fine  Arts  by  the  French 
after  the  Eevolution.^  Went  to  the  playground  and  made 
up  the  quarrel  between  Jay  and  Day.  Thucydides  and 
mathematics. 


26  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  I. 

''Oct.  11. — Learnt  tlie  story  of  Lavinia  in  Thomson. 
Missed  dinner  by  staying  in  the  church  to  hear  the  new 
organist  play.     Practised  the  flute. 

"  Oct.  13. — Eose  at  six.  Livy;  Greek  epigram^  subject^ 
'  non  prodest  quod  non  Isedere  possit  idem ; '  helping  about 
a  play ;  heard  Thring  his  '  gatherings '  for  to-morrow ; 
began  a  play,  and  wrote  the  scene  and  plot. 

"  Oct.  19. — Rose  at  six,  continued  verses.  Thucydides, 
Homer,  mathematics. 

^'  Oct.  20. — Mr.  Whitfield  gave  me  a  drawing  lesson. 
Latin  verses,  subject,  a/xovaia ;  wrote  to  my  father,  asking 
him  to  let  me  learn  music*'.     Eve,  Thucydides. 

''  Oct.  28. — Theme,  '  Why  does  Genius  flourish  most  in 
free  states  ? '  Construed  all  the  time  from  five  to  six,  and 
from  seven  to  eight,  did  200  lines  of  Juvenal,  five  chapters 
of  Thucydides,  and  ninety  lines  of  Homer. 

"Nov.  1. — Seven  weeks  to  the  holidays.  Mr.  Cope  camo 
and  agreed  to  give  me  three  music  lessons  a  week ;  learnt 
a  piece  of  Wharton's  Pleasures  of  Melancholy,  began  tri- 
gonometi'y,  drank  tea  at  my  grandmother's,  let  off  fire- 
works. 

"  Ileal e  Rouse,  Bee.  28. — Went  to  Muchelney  and  took 
two  sketches  of  the  church;  was  never  so  cold  in  my 
life. 

"  Bee.  30. — With  Tom  to  Owlstreet,  repeating  and  prac- 
tising Brutus  and  Cassius.  Evening,  acted  Alfred  four 
times  with  my  cousins.  I  took  three  different  characters. 
Tom  and  I  did  Brutus  and  Cassius. 

''New  Year's  Bay,  1827. — My  uncle  at  Healo  had  all  his 
family  assembled  (thirteen  of  them),  and  gave  them  each  a 
New  Year's  gift,  and  me  also.  I  must  take  care  what  I 
write  to  Fanny  at  school,  as  her  letters  are  looked  at.     Took 

6  "  Would  yoi;  hare  any  objection  for  the  ensuing  quarter  to  my  learning 
the  piano  ?  I  can  easily  manage  so  as  for  it  not  to  interfere  -with  my  other 
studies  by  having  my  lessons  in  play  time  ;  and  if  you  should  think  the 
money  not  sufficiently  well  applied,  I  will  wilHngly,  with  your  consent, 
apply  some  of  that  money  which  lies  in  your  hands  of  my  own  to  paying  for 
it.  My  only  reason  for  wishing  to  learn  is  for  my  own  private  amusement. 
I  do  not  aspire  above  mediocrity.  I  think  eight  weeks  will  be  quite  sufficient 
practice  for  every  purpose  that  I  shall  want." 


1810-1828]  At  School.  27 

leave  of  all  my  cousins  and  went  by  the  North  Devon  coach 
to  town,  and  stopped  at  nig'ht  at  Salisbury^  to  have  tea. 

"  Ampton,  Jan.  5. — Came  here,  ground  covered  with  snow. 
At  9  p.m.  the  Duke  of  York  died. 

"  Jan.  7. — My  father  read  in  at  Ampton,  and  performed 
three  full  services ;  thank  God  for  having  given  him  strength 
to  do  so. 

''Jan.  13. — Went  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake  and  cut 
reeds  for  arrows,  dined  at  Lord  Calthorpe^s  five  times  in 
eight  days ;  company.  Lord  Calthorpe,  Mr.  and  Lady  Char- 
lotte Calthorpe,  R.  Benyon  de  Beauvoir,  Esq.,  Lord  and  Lady 
Barnard,  Mr.  Barnard,  an  Etonian,  and  Mr,  Gough.  They 
are  going  to  present  a  petition  about  the  game  laws  next 
session." 

After  his  return  to  school,  his  journal  tells  us  that  in 
March  he  lost  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Alford  of  Ilminster, 
whose  house  was  to  him  a  sort  of  home  whilst  he  was  at 
school  in  that  town.  His  journal  records  that  he  had  attained 
the  privilege,  customarily  accorded  to  the  head  boy  in  the 
school,  of  "  full  liberty  '^  to  go  in  and  out  as  he  pleased.  He 
says  at  this  time  he  was  reading  "  May  you  like  it'^  and  did 
like  it,  and  describes  himself  as  one 

"  That's  eaten  up  witli  care  for  circle,  line,  and  square  ; 
That's  worn  away  with  classics,  rubbed  out  with  mathematics." 

Shortly  after  he  heard  from  his  father  that  it  was  fixed 
that  he  should  go  as  a  private  pupil  to  the  Rev.  John  Bicker- 
steth,  of  Acton,  in  Suffolk,  to  be  prepared  for  college  :  and 
on  June  20th  he  left  Ilminster  school^,  and  spent  a  week  with 
his  cousins  at  Heale,  to  which  place  he  then  bade  adieu  for 
three  years. 


^  This  view  of  Salisbury  first  suggested  to  him  those  lines  in  his  poem, 
"  A  Doubt,"  first  published  in  1835  :— 

"  I  know  not  how  the  right  might  be  ; 
But  I  have  shed  strange  tears  to  see, 
Passing  an  unknown  to-mi  at  night, 
In  some  warm  chamber  full  of  light, 
A  mothei',  and  two  childron  fail-, 
Kneeling  with  lifted  hands  at  prayer." 
3  A  few  weeks  before  his  death,  in  a  sermon  pi-eached  at  Canterbury 
Cathedral,  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  1870,  ho  refers  to  the  end  of  these  school- 
boy days,  "  Truth  and  Trust,"  p.  23. 


2  8  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  I. 

In  a  letter  to  liis  cousin^  Walter  Alford,  written  July  11^ 
Ampton,  after  Lis  return  home  from  school,  he  expresses 
a  strong  feeling  of  regret  at  parting  with  some  of  his 
companions,  particularly  one  Walker  Thring,  younger  than 
himself : — 

"  I  dare  say  you  think  me  a  most  unaccountable  sort  of 
creature,  to  take  such  curious  likings  to  two  or  three  different 
persons,  and  so  sudden  in  their  beginnings  and  indescribable 
in  their  causes.  It  was  very  hard  parting  with  Thring :  we 
attempted  three  times  to  part, — 

'  Tpis  ope^ai  luv  rJSe  TeTpaTOf' 

but  could  not  reconcile  our  minds  to  it.  You  know  how  to 
pity  me,  but  I  may  venture  to  say  you  can  never  feel  the  like. 
I  will  send  you  some  pretty  lines  from  Heber  on  Farewell. 

'  Wlien  eyes  are  beaming,  &c.' 

"  There  is  something  that  has  bound  me  almost  irresistibly 
to  that  boy,  he  is  so  affectionate,  and  so  almost  instinctively 
averse  to  all  improprieties  of  word  or  thought.  Forgive  me 
for  running  on  thus.  You  are  well  aware  that  mine  is  a 
mind  of  warm  emotions,  and  most  easily  worked  upon,  and 
too  much  elated  and  depressed  by  trifles.  You  will  rather 
wonder,  with  all  the  bad  things  that  I  often  say  of  myself, 
that  I  would  not  change  my  disposition  for  any  other  in  the 
world.  I  have  thoughts  peculiar  to  myself,  and  parting  from 
these  would  be  like  separation  fi'om  old  friends. 

"Never  mind  answering  my  Latin  letter;  I  would  sooner 
have  an  English  one.'' 

The  reference  in  the  last  sentence  is  to  a  long  Latin  letter 
which  he  wrote  to  his  cousin  from  school  a  few  weeks  pre- 
viously.    This  letter  is  preserved. 

With  the  schoolfellow  whom  he  regarded  with  so  much 
affection  he  kept  up  a  correspondence  for  some  time ;  but  as 
they  did  not  often  meet,  even  the  correspondence  died  out. 
There  was  an  accidental  renewal  of  acquaintance  in  1 860 ; 
and    when    Henry    Alford    died,    his   widow   received    (in 


1810-1828]  Wiih  a  private  Tutor.  29 

February,  1871)  a  kindly  letter,  in  wliich.  tliis  early  friend 
tlius  refers  to  their  sclioolboy  days  : — 

"1  have  never  forgotten  our  old  and  unusually  warm 
friendship  at  Ilminster,  and  how  kind,  good,  and  patient 
Henry  Alford  was  to  me  in  those  days ;  and  probably,  how 
much  I  am  indebted  to  his  guidance  and  teaching,  that 
I  have  since  then  been  preserved  from  harm,  in  a 
course  through  a  life  of  many  changes  and  much  early 
trouble." 

Some  letters  have  been  preserved  which  he  wrote  to  his 
cousin,  Walter  Alford,  during  his  stay  with  Mr.  Bickersteth 
at  Acton;  that  is,  from  August  6,  1827,  to  October  6,  1828. 
He  describes  his  life  there  as  very  happy.  He  visited  the 
poor  and  taught  in  the  Sunday-school,  helped  to  play  the 
organ  at  church,  and  in  various  ways  seemed  to  be  preparing 
himself  for  the  occupation  of  a  clergyman. 

One  of  his  letters  contains  the  following  expression  of  his 
opinion  concerning  Lord  Byron  : — 

"  How  do  you  like  Lord  Byron  ?  What  a  genius  for 
noble  themes  !  If,  instead  of  prostituting  his  muse  to  the 
service  of  licentiousness  and  infamous  blasphemy,  he  had 
employed  her  in  the  praise  of  his  God,  of  what  service  might 
he  have  been  to  the  cause  of  religion  !  '^ 

A  hymn  written  at  this  time  shows  how  much  attention  he 
gave  to  the  Sunday-school : — 

WHAT  CAN  YOU  DO  FOR  CHRIST  ? 

A   QUESTION   ADDRESSED   TO   ACTON    SUNDAY-SCHGOr,. 

"  What,  cMldren,  can  you  nothing  do 
For  Him  who  did  so  much  for  you  ? 
He  left  His  throne  above  the  sky 
For  you  to  suffer  and  to  die. 

"  In  your  imperfect  natiu-e  born, 
He  bore  reproach,  contemjjt,  and  scorn  : 
For  you  He  left — amazing  love  ! — • 
His  kingdom  and  His  power  above. 

"  And  can  jou,  children,  nothing  do 
For  Him  who  did  so  much  for  you  ? 
Oh,  you  can  love  Him,  you  can  try 
With  His  commandments  to  comply. 


30  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  I. 

"  You  can  beseech  Ilim  to  impart 
A  humble,  new,  and  contrite  heart ; 
And  He  will  never  send  away 
The  children  who  sincerely  ^v^^j. 

"  Oh,  you  can  road  His  holy  word 
To  those  who  ne'er  its  truths  have  heard  ; 
So  children,  you  will  something  do 
For  Him  who  did  so  much  for  you." 

ySepf.  1827. 

His  journals  supply  evidence  of  tlie  healtliy  development 
of  his  relig-ious  character  in  the  year  which  he  spent  as  a 
pupil  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Bickerstcth. 

A  few  fragmentary  extracts  may  be  inserted  :  — 

"  Awj.  8. — Mr.  Canning  died  ten  minutes  to  4  a.m. 

^'  Aug.  26. — First  took  the  Sacrament. 

"  Soft.  3.— Saved  Eobert's'  life  in  the  Stour. 

"  Be'pt,  13. — Swam  with  my  clothes  on. 

"  Be'pt.  24. — Made  an  yEolian  harp.  Drew  Acton 
Church. 

[Written  in  a  Bible.]  "  Sunday,  Nov.  18^  Adgn. — I  do 
this  day^  as  in  the  presence  of  God  and  my  own  soul,  renew 
my  covenant  with  God,  and  solemnly  determine  henceforth 
to  become  His,  and  do  His  work  as  far  as  in  me  lies. 

"  So  one  more  Sabbath  is  gone  to  his  rest. 

And  our  Sabbaths  below  are  imperfectly  given  : 
They  are  broken  and  chill'd  and  imperfect  at  best. 
But  tyjDes  of  the  Sabbath  in  heaven." 

"  Dec.  30. — Played  the  organ  first  time  in  Ampton 
Church. 

" Dec.  SI. — Bought  Milton's  works.  At  night  examined 
the  past  year,  and  prayed  for  grace  for  the  next. 

"So  ends  1827,  spent  not  as  it  should  have  been,  valued 
not  as  it  ought  to  have  been,  improved  not  as  it  might  have 
been.  Lord,  give  me  grace  not  only  to  feel  really  thankful 
for  mercies  past,  but  learn  from  past  sins  and  past  deliver- 
ances to  be  more  circumspect  in  time  to  come !  Help  mo 
solemnly  to  ask  myself  the  question,  '  Where  art  thou  ? ' 
and  my  conscience  to  faithfully  answer  it ! 


One  of  his  fellow  pupils. 


1 8 10-1828]  With  a  private  Ttitor.  31 

"  The  clock  strikes  twelve  :  1827  is  ended.  '  Wkat  is  your 
life?^ 

"Jan.  19. — Learning  Horace^s  Odes,  I.  II.,  and  finished 
Aristophanes.  Heard  I  was  entered  at  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge. '^ 

The  following  lines,  which  were  written  in  his  Bible,  con- 
tain a  reference  to  Henry  Kirke  White,  whose  poems  and 
biography  made  a  deep  impression  on  him  about  this 
time : — 

"  Acton,' Feb.  20,  half-jyast  12  a.m. — 

"  'Tis  midnight,  palely  bivms  my  waning  lamp, 
And  gladly  I  turn  from  worldly  cares  to  thee. 
Blest  Messenger  of  Heaven — and  scan  thy  page 
With  high  and  fervid  joy — and  written  there 
Is  all  my  lot— past,  present,  and  to  come, 
And  disappointment,  and  iinhail'd  success, 
Sickness  and  death — now  here  the  prospect  ends. 
Wide-stretch'd  beyond  the  grave  are  realms  of  joy 
And  crowns  of  astral  brilliance — heaps  of  gold, 
The  meed  of  faith — and  be  those  treasiu-es  mine. 
Now  to  my  couch — a  few  hours'  brief  repose, 
Then  back  to  busy  life,  but  why  complain  ? 
Am  I  as  he  who  sung  his  mournful  strain, 
Both  time  and  place  alike  o'er  health  destroy'd, 
And  chilling  penmy,  and  sharp  ambition 
Goading  behind,  while  veiling  all  before  ? 
Ah,  no !  biit  far  from  me  be  aught  but  love, 
And  strict  regard  unto  the  memory 
Of  him  I  sing  of — pardon,  gentle  night, 
This  dull  intrusion  on  thy  wonted  bounds. 
And  take  my  service — world  of  sin,  fareAvell !" 

"May  14. — News  came  of  the  Catholic  question  having 
passed  through  the  first  reading  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons ;  did  Hesiod,  wrote  notes  from  Person,  began  trans- 
lating third  chapter  of  Habakkuk  into  Greek  verse.  Frewen 
Turner  gave  me  a  cast  of  a  head  for  phrenology." 

From  Ampton,  where  he  spent  his  summer  holidays  with 
some  of  his  cousins,  he  writes  : — 

"June  30. — Copied  music,  and  played  the  tunes  on  the 
organ  to  my  cousins,  rowed  them  round  the  lake  in  Lord 
Calthorpe's  grounds ;  fine  sunset.  Sketched  the  Wadgate 
cottages,  sung  ^From  all  that  dwell  below  the  skies,^  to 
the  Old  Hundredth  tune  (sung  bass  for  the  first  time) ; 
most  cosy  with  all.     My  father  gave  me  a  Shakspeare." 


32  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  I. 

"  Juhj  1  ] . — Read  six  hours ;  getting  very  fond  of  algebra ; 
did  questions  on  proportion  and  Eumenides ;  made  part 
of  a  tune  for  ^  When  the  threatening  tempest  scowls  !  ^ '' 

This  was  his  last  quarter  with  a  private  tutor.  His 
journals  tell  us  he  was  *^  getting  up  the  Georgics^  reading 
trigonometry^  and  reading,  writing  notes^  and  drawing  plans 
of  the  Theatre  of  the  Greeks/' 

For  some  days  this  month  his  journal  was  written  in 
Latin. 

^'  Sept.  30. — Did  verses  nearly  all  the  morning,  read 
Adams  after  dinner.  Discovered  Capella  by  altitude.  Astro- 
nomized  till  past  twelve ;  very  beautiful  night ;  wrote  down 
the  names  and  situations  of  several  j^rimary  and  secondary 
stars,  a  Lyrte,  &c.,  and  watched  for  Procyon  in  Canis  Minor ; 
he  rose  at  half-past  twelve. ■'' 

The  two  following  letters  were  written  at  this  time : — 

To  Walter  Alford. 

"Acton,  Scijt. 

"  I  am  going  to  Cambridge  in  October,  so  that  I  must 
fag.  I  hope  to  go  up  with  the  first  six  books  of  Euclid, 
plane  and  spherical  trigonometry,  and  algebra,  at  my  fingers' 
ends;  and  in  classics  I  hope  to  have  mastered  the  Iliad 
(which  I  have  never  read),  Sophocles;  the  four  Porsonic 
plays  of  Euripides,  two  or  three  of  Aristophanes,  Thucydides, 
Herodotus,  and  Xenophon's  Cyi-opeedia  and  Anabasis,  Virgil, 
Livy,  Tacitus,  Cicero's  Orations,  Horace,  Sallust,  and  if  I 
can,  Pindar.  I  think  that  if  I  can  really  cram  these,  as 
we  Cantabs  call  it,  by  October,  it  will  be  a  very  respect- 
able set  out  in  classics.  In  mathematics,  as  I  have  often 
told  you,  I  shall  attempt  little  or  nothing,  a  Senior  Optime 
is  at  present  the  aKfirj  of  my  wishes,  though  I  own  the 
word  Wrangler  sounds  very  pretty,  but  is  more  like  a  dis- 
tant star  in  the  horizon,  which  work  as  far  as  I  will  I 
can  never  reach,  than  any  thing  attainable  by  me." 

As  the  time  approached  nearer  he  again  wrote  to  the  same 
cousin. 

"■  You    cannot  think   how    I    dread  Cambridge ;   I  quite 


1S10-1828]  With  a  Private  TtUoi'.  n 

sliriuk  from  the  thoughts  of  going  there,  and  fear  I  shall 
fall.  I  have  no  stamina  as  yet  of  religious  principle,  at 
least  so  I  fear,  and  all  as  yet  is  talk  and  pride.  People 
want  me  to  get  into  the  first  class  at  Trinity.  I  hope  I 
shall  be  enabled  to  do  my  best  as  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  not  to  regard  the  praise  or  dispraise  of  men,  and 
then  if  I  fail  of  my  object  of  attainment  of  earthly 
honours,  I  can  be  calm  and  contented  under  the  will  of 
my  Heavenly  Father,,  who  I  can  be  assured  would  not 
have  frustrated  my  expectations,  unless  it  were  good  for 
me  that  it  should  be  so.  I  have  been  advised  by  those 
who  wish  for  my  good  to  fight  shy  of  new  acquaintances, 
and  rather  be  sought  than  to  seek  associates.  In  such 
doubtful  circumstances,  on  what  can  I  rely,  but  on  the 
kind  guidance  and  Fatherly  care  of  Him,  who  has  pro- 
mised to  be  a  guide  to  them  that  love  Him? 

"  I  am  very  busy,  and  can  hardly  find  time  even  for  letter- 
writing,  of  which  you  know  I  am  so  fond.  Mathematics  I 
fear  comes  off  but  poorly;  never  fear  of  my  being  Senior 
Wrangler,  or  a  Wrangler  at  all,  or  even  a  Senior  Optime,  or, 
I  am  afraid,  even  a  Junior  Optime ;  however,  I  hope  this 
stupid  head  of  mine,  will  get  a  little  more  sense  knocked 
into  it  at  Cambridge,  or  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do.  I 
am  very  much  afraid  of  going  there,  chiefly  because  I  fear  I 
shall  disgrace  my  profession,  and  dishonour  my  Saviour ; 
don't  forget  me  about  that  trying  time,  during  the  end  of 
October  and  the  beginning  of  November,  for  I  expect  that 
during  that  time  my  character  will  be  formed  in  the 
University." 

Before  going  up  to  Cambridge,  he  spent  a  few  pleasant 
days  at  Ampton,  which  are  recorded  in  his  journal : — 

"  Od.  9. — Pleasant  day  altogether;  read  to  my  father  an 
article  in  the  'Quarterly'  on  astronomy,  and  looked  at  Adams 
on  Astronomy,  got  the  carpenter  to  make  me  a  quadrant ; 
went  to  Lord  Calthorpe's  to  dinner,  met  Mr.  Wilberforce ', 


•  It  must  have  been  now,  or  at  an  earlier  period  that  Lord  Calthorpe,  to 
]ircvcut  the  consequences  of  Mr.  Wilberforce's  earnestness  in  conversation,^ 
which  constantly  impelled  him  to  advance  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  edge  of 

D 


34  Life  of  Dean  A  [ford.  [Chap.  I. 

and  was  mucli  pleased  with  him ;  Mr.  and  Lady  Harriet 
Gurney,  and  Mr.  Spencer  were  there,  and  Mrs.  and  Miss 
Wilberforce. 

"  Od.  10. — Fixed  the  ^lobe,  put  a  stay  on  the  quadrant, 
read  Adams^  Planets,  very  interesting  indeed;  in  the  evening 
went  to  the  Hall  again,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  time.  Lord 
Arthur  Hervey  there,  Mr.  Wilberforce  very  agreeable,  we 
looked  for  the  comet,  looked  at  plates  with  Miss  Wilberforce. 

"  Oct.  11. — Pleasant  day,  particularly  with  dear  Mr.  Wil- 
berforce. He  and  Miss  Calthorpe  called  on  us,  and  we 
walked  with  them  down  to  the  gamekeeper's  ;  pleasant  walk 
and  delightful  conversation ;  found  a  curious  fungus  in  the 
evening;  wrote  out  about  the  light  on  Sept.  29,  for  Mr. 
Wilberforce. 

"  Ocf.  15. — Wrote  an  account  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  ; 
went  to  the  Hall,  dear  Mr.  Wilberforce  went,  and  Mrs.  and 
Miss ;  played  on  the  organ  with  Mr.  Bickersteth.  So  ends  my 
career  of  boyhood ;  from  this  time  I  hope  a  new  ei'a  in  my 
life.     Lord,  support  me  in  it  for  Christ's  sake. 

"  Od.  16. — Set  out  for  Cambridge  with  my  father.  Dined 
at  Professor  Parish's,  very  pleasant.  We  went  to  Trinity 
Church,  Mr.  Simeon  preached  there  from  '  My  soul  is  like  a 
weaned  child,'  a  very  delightful  sermon,  calculated  to  do 
much  good." 


the  chair  on  whicli  lie  was  seated,  employed  young  Henry  Alford  to  watch 
and  take  siiitable  opiDortunities  of  pushing  the  chair  forward  by  degi-ees  so 
that  it  might  keep  pace  with  the  advance  of  the  speaker's  person. 


CHAPTER    II. 

1828—1832, 

Life  at  Cambridge  as  an  Undergraduate — Goes  to  read 
AT  Portsmouth— Meeting  with  W.  Wordsworth— Bell's 
Scholar. 

THE  following  extracts  from  his  journal  at  this  time  will 
show  the  industry,  the  severity  towards  himself,  and 
the  religious  eai-nestness  with  which  he  entered  on  his  college 
course.  The  early  hours  (averaging  six)  at  which  he  rose, 
his  regular  attendance  at  morning  and  evening  chapel,  and 
the  three  chapters  and  a  Psalm  which  constitute  his  daily 
portion  of  the  Bible,  are  set  down ;  and,  besides  this,  under 
every  day  a  description  of  the  weather,  which  could  scarcely 
have  been  more  minute  and  careful  if  he  had  been  specially 
studying  meteorology. 

"  Oct.  23. — Breakfasted  in  a  great  hurry,  went  to  Evans' 
lecture,  very  good,  a  preliminary  one  on  criticism ;  went  to 
mathematical  lecture,  Coddington's. 

"  Oct.  24. — Called  on  Peacock ;  he  recommended  me  Hod- 
son  as  a  tutor.  He  set  me  to  do  the  third  part  of  algebra, 
some  Latin  verses,  and  gave  me  an  order  for  the  library. 

"Nov.  10. — Lectures,  read  mathematics,  called  on  Pro- 
fessor Farish,  learnt  four  Odes  of  Horace. 

"  Nov.  1 1 . — Lectures,  read  hard  till  two,  then  rowed  down 
the  river,  returned  to  Hall,  worked  hard  and  finished  the 
New  Testament.  Always  estimate  men  in  proportion  as  they 
estimate  this  Book. 

''  A  man  may  be  deep  read  in  the  Scriptures,  and  full  of 
commentaries  and  criticisms,  and  yet  not  be  a  lover  of  them  ; 
P  2 


36  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

as  a  man  may  be  intimately  versed  in  the  character  of 
another,  and  yet  not  be  his  friend. 

"  This  Book  hath  that  advantage  above  the  Old  Testament 
which  the  second  temple  had  over  the  first,  and  for  the  same 
reason :  but  in  this  respect  they  differ ;  the  glory  of  that 
temple  is  past,  and  the  building  destroyed,  whereas  this 
book  hath  its  glory  to  come ;  for  an  hour  is  at  hand  when 
all  nations  shall  come  hither  to  see  what  God  hath  done,  is 
doing,  and  will  do  for  their  souls. 

"Nov.  13. — Matriculation,  wrote  music,  went  to  Senate 
House,  got  matriculated,  went  to  Smyth^s  lectures,  very 
good,  and  very  full,  hired  a  piano,  worked  at  Iambics. 
Rather  idle  day,  and  dilatory. 

"  Sunday,  Nov.  30. — Read  Bible,  went  to  Scholefield's  to 
the  communion,  very  delightful  indeed,  beautiful  sermon ; 
St.  Mary's  afterwards,  tremendous  long  sermon,  one  hour 
twenty  minutes,  men  scraped  with  their  feet,  chapel,  good 
anthems. 

"Dec.  2. — Very  cold,  lighted  my  fire  and  read  till  chapel, 
at  the  lecture  Evans  gave  a  quantity  of  cram  about  the 
choruses  in  the  Eumenides,  read  till  two,  walked  to  Gran- 
chester. 

"  Bleak  blows  the  •wind  along  the  moor, 
And  whistles  at  the  cottage  door, 
While  the  poor  houseless  wanders  on 
Unpitied,  friendless,  and  alone. 
How  thankful  then  ought  I  to  be 
For  all  Thy  favours.  Lord,  to  me. 

"  Sunday,  Dec.  7. — Simeon,  a  very  good  sermon,  a  divinity 
sermon ;  then  St.  Mary's,  a  most  magnificent  sermon  from 
Melvill,  made  an  extract  in  my  common-place  book. 

"  Deeply,  Lord,  upon  my  heart 

This  important  truth  engrave  ; 
'Tis  Thy  mercies  that  impart 

All  we  are,  and  all  we  have. 
Heavenly  Father,  what  are  we. 
Left  alone,  and  reft  of  Thee, 
Left  without  a  prop  to  stand. 
Left  to  sin's  overwhelming  hand  ? 

"Dec.    12. — Continued   verses,    Evans'  lecture   all    cram 
about  Thucydides.     He  wished  us  a  pleasant  vacation. 
"  Prayed  in  Latin,  any  thing  to  keep  up  the  attention. 


1828]  An  Unde7'grad7iate  at  Cambridge.  37 

"  Full  many  a  beam  of  mercy  shines 

Upon  our  pilgi-image  below, 
And  oft  along  the  thorny  way 

The  beacon  lamps  of  mercy  glow  ; 
Well  if  they  wean  from  vanity 
And  draw  our  wishes,  Lord,  to  Thee." 

In  addition  to  the  facts  recorded  in  his  journal,,  his 
thoughts  and  feelings  at  this  time  will  be  shown  by  the 
following  extracts  from  his  letters. 

To  Miss  R.  S.  ALroRD  (afterwards  Mrs.  Morgan). 

"  I  am  now  entered  on  my  life  of  temptation  and  have  begun 
to  think  and  act  for  myself,  and  have  brought  upon  my  own 
shoulders  that  weight  of  cares,  in  a  measure  at  least,  which 
till  now  others  have  taken  from  me ;  do,  dear  Shute,  write 
soon,  and  give  me  spiritual  comfort,  and  let  me  know  that  I 
have  friends  somewhere.  It  is  now  above  all  other  times, 
that  I  feel  the  want  of  such  friends  as  the  members  of  a  large 
family  have  in  their  brothers  and  sisters  :  do  write  me  soon 
a  long  and  hearty  letter.'^ 

To  his  cousin  Walter,  then  at  Oxford,  a  month  later  he 
writes : — 

"  I  am  reading  for  the  University  Scholarship  with  a 
private  tutor.  I  read  eight  hours  a  day,  have  few  friends, 
and  attend  Simeou^s  preaching  and  evening  parties." 

The  following  letter  refers  to  his  work  at  college,  a  visit 
from  his  father,  and  his  future  prospects. 

To  Walter  Alford. 
"  I  am  afraid  I  am  expressing  myself  very  intricately  and 
indistinctly,  for  I  am  so  muddled  between  Thucydides  and 
^schylus,  and  Yirgil  and  Euclid,  and  the  Binomial 
Theorem,  &c.,  that  I  write  a  letter  as  if  I  was  doing  a  pro- 
blem, all  in  confusion.  I  was  so  pleased  to  see  my  father 
here,  and  to  lionize  him.  These  are  blessings  which  call  for 
thanks  and  praise  in  many  points  of  view,  and  in  one,  not 
the  least,  that  I  have  been  most  graciously  upheld  by  the 
power  and  grace  of  my  Heavenly  Father  while  I  have  been 
here  hitherto.  For  how  could  I  meet  my  father  with  a 
smiling  welcome  or  a  light  heart,  had  I  been  giving  way  to 
temptation,  anij  falling  into  open  sin  ?  is  not  this  a  mercy  ? 


38  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  II. 

I  often  look  forward  with  very  mingled  feelings  to  the  time 
when,  by  the  good  pleasure  of  our  God,  I  shall  be  a  labourer 
in  His  vineyard ;  how  awful,  yet  how  delightful  a  thing  the 
cure,  as  it  is  emphatically  called,  of  souls  !  how  overwhelming 
a  responsibility,  yet  how  pleasing  an  oflfice.  I  have  very 
much  to  say  to  you  on  various  subjects,  and  on  none  more 
than  on  religion.  I  do  indeed  feel  cold  and  dead,  and  I  am 
afraid  my  coldness  arises  from  pride  and  self-conceit :  I  wish 
I  could  think,  I  mean  act,  as  if  I  thought  myself  all  vile 
and  unworthy  of  pardon.  But  here  is  the  misfortune,  that 
then  the  world  thrusts  in  its  opaque  shadow  between  me  and 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  or  my  Saviour  seems  to  hide  His 
face  under  clouds  of  doubt  and  fear.  I  have,  I  trust,  now 
and  then  bright  gleams  vouchsafed,  and  sometimes  I  can 
bask  myself  in  His  sunshine,  and  delight  myself  in  Him.  I 
did  so  remarkably  yesterday  morning.  It  was  a  beautiful 
warm  day,  and  almost  cloudless,  and  I  took  a  solitary  walk 
in  the  grounds  at  Queens^  before  Simeon^s  service,  and  cer- 
tainly did  enjoy  meditation  very  much;  but  delightful  as 
these  seasons  are,  they  are  times  of  peculiar  temptation ;  for 
as  Newton  says,  '  A  robber  will  not  attack  a  man  on  his  way 
to  the  bank,  but  when  he  is  returning  loaded  with  money." 
He  writes  about  the  same  time  : — 

To  Miss  R.  S.  Alfokd. 
"  Excuse  the  liberty  I  have  taken  in  sending  you  these  few 
lines.  I  used  to  write  nonsense  in  this  way  once,  on  things 
which  I  have  since  bitterly  repented  of.  You  may  get  an 
appropriate  text  for  the  heading  of  them  from  Num.  vi.  24 — 
26,  or  Psalm  xx. 

"  Gracious  Saviour,  here  behold  us 
Kneeling  at  Thy  mercies'  throne  ; 
In  Thy  arms  of  love  enfold  us, 
Claim  and  take  us  for  Thine  own. 
"  Though  in  distant  regions  sever'd, 
Still  unite  lis,  Lord,  to  Thee  ; 
Dead  to  earth  from  sin  deliver' d, 
Pilgrims  of  eternity. 
"  In  the  moments  of  temptation 

Hold  us  by  Thine  arm  of  power  ; 
Arm  our  hearts  for  peril's  station, 
Shield  our  heads  in  danger's  hour. 


1828]  An  Undergraduate  at  Cambridge.  39 

"  When  we  pass  the  last  dark  river, 
Bear  us  o'er  the  swelling  tide  ; 
Hear  and  answer  and  deliver, 
Land  us  safe  on  Canaan's  side, 
"  There  in  measure  never  ceasing 
Sweeter  songs  we  hope  to  raise  ; 
Thee  our  God  for  ever  blessing. 
Wrapt  in  love,  and  lost  in  praise. 

"  As  often  as  you  have  time,  I  shall  be  most  bappy  to  hear 
from  you,  and  I  shall  want  something  like  the  advice  and 
open-hearted  freedom  of  a  friend,  to  relieve  my  solitary 
hours  at  Cambridge.  It  makes  a  great  difference  to  me  to 
be  placed  in  a  state  of  solitary  independence. 

In  December  from  Ampton,  where  he  spent  his  Christmas 
vacation,  he  thus  writes  : — 

To  Walter  Alpord. 
'^  Now  my  first  term  is  passed,  I  can  look  back  with  cool 
reflection  on  my  manner  of  life  and  pursuits  at  college,  and 
the  more  I  look  at  the  time  spent  there,  the  more  I  like  the 
method  of  life.  I  know  two  or  three  good  men.  How  very 
refreshing  is  Christian  communion  of  this  sort !  After 
the  dry  pages  of  mathematics,  and  though  not  quite  so 
uninteresting,  yet  quite  as  unsatisfying,  of  a  classical  author, 
I  find  nothing  but  the  Bible  satisfy  me.  I  read  ^schylus  and 
Homer,  and  then  turn  to  Isaiah  and  Joel ;  and  the  heathen 
poetry,  sublime  as  it  is  in  itself,  is  mere  prose  in  comparison. 
I  read  algebra  and  Euclid,  and  then  turn  to  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans,  and  all  the  reasoning  of  ancients  and  moderns 
appears  weak  and  inconclusive,  every  store  of  spiritual  and 
intellectual  knowledge  is  hid  in  that  divine  book.  We 
heard  this  morning  of  my  Aunt  Cordelia^s  death ;  her  gain, 
though  our  loss.  Whilst  she  was  here  she  had  a  presenti- 
ment of  it  in  her  mind. 

"  There  is  a  soft  and  friendly  voice 
Which  calls  the  saints  away, 
And  bids  them  look  to  brighter  joys, 
When  life  and  health  decay. 
"  There  is  a  sweet  unearthly  smile, 
A  calm  and  heavenly  breath, 
While  earth's  frail  body  wastes  the  while 
Beneath  the  tomb  of  death. 

"  Excuse  this,  as  you  know  it  is  an  old  fault  of  mine." 


40  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  II. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  he  wrote  a  hymn/ published 
long  afterwards  in  the  "Year  of  Praise/''  No.  181,  "Forth 
to  the  land  of  promise  bound." 

The  following  extracts  from  his  journal  will  show  how  he 
was  employed  at  home  : — 

"  Amfton,  Jan.  1,  1829. — Read  till  breakfast  '  Oratio 
contra  Leptinem/  read  some  of  the  first  book  of  Cicero's 
'  Offices  '  whilst  walking  ;  dined  at  Lord  Calthorpe's,,  rather 
interesting  conversation  about  statuary  and  painting. 

"  I  humbly  thank  Thee,  0  Lord,  for  thus  preserving  me  to 
see  the  beginning  of  another  year.  May  it  be  spent  in  Thy 
service. 

"  Heard  from  Fanny. 

"Jan.  2. — Wrote  letters  and  diary.  After  breakfast  con- 
densed ^  Oratio  ad  Leptinem/  made  Latin  epigram  on 
*  splendide  mendax,'  read  some  Juvenal.  In  the  evening  at 
the  Hall  again,  very  pleasant.  How  can  I  be  grateful 
enough,  not  only  for  being  permitted  to  live  and  enjoy 
health,  but  also  all  the  advantages  which  the  best  society 
affords  ? 

*' Sunday,  Jan.  11. — Read  Doddridge's  Paraphrase  on 
1  Tim.  i.,  and  also  read  Bishop  Hall  and  made  notes  on  it. 

"  So  sabbatli  after  sabbath  flies, 
And  each  is  noted  down  above ; 
And  tears  are  wept  by  angels'  eyes, 

O'er  grace  refused  and  slighted  love. 
Lord,  may  my  every  sabbath  be 
A  stage  upon  my  road  to  Thee. 

"Wrote  in  my  original  album  some  remarks  on  In- 
struction of  Children  ^ 


1  The  beginning  and  ending  of  these  remarks  were  as  follows  : — "  Excess 
of  feeling  is  rather  a  failing  of  mine  ;  when  I  hear  it  urged  against  a  man  who 
intends  well,  that  he  is  too  apt  to  let  his  feelings  overbalance  his  judgment, 
I  always  hojje  well  of  that  man.  Perhaps  this  may  be  from  the  general 
willingness  to  think  well  of  one's  own  weak  points  which  so  much  prevails  ; 
but,  I  think,  if  we  were  to  lay  fact  against  fact  and  reason  against  reason, 
we  should  generally  find  that  the  most  useful  among  men  have  been  meu  of 
warm  hearts  and  feeling  minds ;  men  who  could  not  only  say  they  sym- 
pathized in  the  distresses  of  others,  but  really  were  themselves  afflicted  with 
their  afflictions  ;  who  not  only  af&rmed  that  to  see  others  happy  gave  them 
pleasure,  but  actually  themselves  rejoiced  in  their  joy  :  [and  ending  with]  I' 
have  been  induced  to  write  the  above  few  remarks  from  a  persuasion  that 
much  more  than  is  usually  thought  depends  on  the  manner  of  ministers 
towards  their  flock,  and  especially  the  younger  part,  of  them.     If  these 


1829]  An  Undergraduate  at  Cambridge.         41 

"Jan.  12. — Not  quite  well.  Rose  at  eiglit,  having  woe- 
fully overslept  myself,  prayers  almost  immediately,  talked 
much  to  my  father,  thought  much  of  death.  I  am  disposed 
to  fear  it,  but  it  should  have  no  horrors  for  me.  I  do  not 
fear  it,  but  I  fear  my  separation  from  many  worldly  objects, 
which  should  be  to  me  but  as  loss  for  Christ.  Oh!  the  being 
with  Him. 

"Jan.  14. — Bad  cough,  read  two  books  of  Euclid  and 
some  -Agamemnon.     My  father  read  to  me  in  the  evening. 

"Lordj  teach  me  conformity  to  Thy  will^  humble  my 
proud  heart,  subdue  my  high  spirit,  if  Thou  have  work  for 
me  to  do,  0  keep  me  here,  I  beseech  Thee ;  if  not,  take  me 
to  Thyself. 

"  Jan.  \  5. — Wrote  to  Fanny.  It  is  very  pleasant  for  me 
to  write  to  her  once  again  after  so  long  a  silence.  This  has 
been  a  trying  week  to  me,  as,  not  having  been  well,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  do  my  accustomed  work.^'' 

Just  after  his  return  to  Cambridge  he  wrote  to  his  cousin. 
Miss  R.  S.  Alford,  on  Jan.  26,  with  reference  to  a  correspond- 
ence which  had  been  temporarily  interrupted.  "  Forgive 
me  for  a  freshman  not  managing  his  time  well  enough  to 
have  time  for  every  thing.  I  heard  from  Fanny  and  Mary  on 
New  Year's- day,  and  I  assure  you  it  was  no  unacceptable 
New  Year's  present  to  me  especially,  the  beginning  of  the 
year  with  so  pleasing  and  long-wished  a  change,  and  that  we 
are.  once  more  on  the  footing  of  Christian  friends  and  rela- 
tions. And  not  only  should  I  rejoice,  but  show  it  in  thank- 
fulness to  God  for  His  mercy,  to  whom  I  have  so  often  prayed 
that  it  might  be  so.  "What  a  delightful  feeling  it  is  when 
some  unexpected  'mercy  reaches  us,  and  we  are  too  full  to 
speak  our  gratitude  to  God ;  but  a  sort  of  unutterable  burst 
of  thankfulness  escapes  like  that  of  David,  '  What  shall  I 
render  to  God  for  all  His  benefits  V  I  remember  a  very 
pleasing  verse  from  the  new  version  of  the  Psalms,  I  think, — 

[remarks]  be  any  part  of  that  right  path  which  I  am  to  pursue,  when  I  shall 
become  one  of  Christ's  ministers  (if  it  please  God  to  spare  me),  do  Thou,  O 
Lord,  fix  them  in  my  mind  deeply  and  firmly  ;  if  any  of  them  be  incorrect  or 
detrimental,  may  I  remember  and  act  on  the  rest  while  I  forget  and  reject 
those." 


42  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  II. 

'  The  Lord  is  good  !  fresh  acts  of  grace 
His  bounty  still  supplies, 
His  anger  moves  with  slowest  space, 
His  willing  mercy  flies.'  " 

His  next  term  at  Cambridge  was  marked  by  a  visit  from 
his  father^  and  by  liis  passing  tlirougli  tliree  examinations, 
two  of  wliich,  for  the  Craven  and  for  the  Bell  Scholarships, 
he  undertook  voluntarily  in  addition  to  his  college  examina- 
tion. From  January  26 — 31,  he  went  to  the  schools  for  the 
Craven  Scholarship  examination,  which  he  describes  as  "  very 
tough — Scholefield,  Haviland,Tatham,  and  Turton  examiners." 
On  February  23  he  records,  '^  Craven  decided  in  favour  of 
Wordsworth  "  [afterwards  Bishop  of  Lincoln] .  His  journal 
next  refers  to  the  examination  for  the  Bell  scholarship. 

"  March  5. — Went  to  the  schools,  Tatham  examiner ;  Greek 
poetry,  did  pretty  well ;  out  at  half-past  two.  Walked  with 
Oliver  and  Dalton  on  the  Trumpington  Road;  returned  to 
Hall.  AVent  to  Simeon^ s,  good  sermon  about  Catholic  ques- 
tion (night  of  the  Catholic  debate) ;  returned  and  read  till 
twelve.  O  Lord,  I  commit  the  ensuing  contest  to  Thee; 
Thou  knowest,  and  Thou  only  knowest,  what  will  be  best  for 
me,  and  I  trust  in  perfect  confidence  in  Thee  that  Thou  wilt 
settle  it  as  it  may  be  best  for  my  spiritual  welfare. 

"  March  6. —  Schools  at  nine.  Goldcut  examined.  Out  at 
half-past  two.  Did  pretty  well.  Had  Persius  set.  Fifth 
Satire,  which  I  had  read  last  night.  Hall  afterwards.  Got 
paper.  Went  to  Simeon's  rooms.  Returned  to  tea  at  eight. 
Read  mathematics  very  fiercely,  being  afraid  of  the  paper 
to-morrow.     Read  till  four  o^clock,  and  then  went  to  bed. 

"March  7. — Intended  to  be  up  for  Chapel,  but  too  late. 
Read  mathematics  till  ten,  and  then  went  to  the  schools. 
Did  better  than  I  expected ;  fifteen  out  of  thirty  questions. 
Out  at  two.  Went  to  boat  race.  Returned  to  Hall,  chapel, 
and  tea.  How  can  I  enough  thank  Thee,  0  gracious  God, 
for  having  brought  me  through  this  long  and  fatiguing 
examination ;  and  if  it  please  Thee,  may  I  be  able  to  assist 
my  dear  father.'^ 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  a  letter  from  his  father 
during  an  examination  : — 


1829]  Reading  at  Portsmouth.  43 

"Feb.  28. — My  expectations  are  uot  sanguine^  aud  should 
you  prove  unsuccessful  my  disappointment  will  be  very  little. 
I  mention  this  to  ease  your  mind  on  my  account.  Do  your 
best^  and  I  shall  be  quite  satisfied  with  the  result,  though  it 
may  be  against  you.  The  issue  of  the  contest  rests  with 
your  heavenly  Father,  who  knows  what  is  best  for  you  far 
better  than  I  do.^' 

And  after  the  close  of  the  examination  his  father  says  : — 

"March  13. — Your  mind  I  hope  as  well  as  your  body  is 
released  from  the  burden  which  it  imposed  upon  it,  and  that 
you  can  now  breathe  freely  again.  You  have  done,  my 
dear  boy,  your  part,  and  whatever  may  be  the  result  of  the 
election,  I  shall  be  satisfied.  The  progress  you  have  made 
in  preparing  for  the  examination,  the  habits  acquired  by  it, 
the  temptations  prevented  by  it,  the  experience  which  it  has 
given  you,  are  all  advantages  of  more  value  than  the  40L  a 
year,  of  which  the  determination  of  the  electors  cannot  deprive 
you,  and  you  have  moreover  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  your  duty." 

The  visit  of  his  father  to  Cambridge  occurred  shortly  after 
the  examination,  and  is  thus  noticed  in  his  journal : — 

"May  8. — Rose  at  half-past  five,  read  till  chapel,  to 
chapel  and  returned  to  breakfast,  and  then  my  father  came 
and  left  just  after,  went  to  Peacock^s  lecture,  read  till  two 
to  Hodson,  read  steadily  all  the  evening.  0  Lord,  I  thank 
Thee  for  this  short  relief  from  the  severity  of  study  in  the 
company  of  my  dearest  father  ^  May  I  be  thankful,  my 
wish  is  now  accomplished.  I  am  to  go  to  read  mathematics 
with  Mason  at  Portsmouth  this  summer,  when  the  long 
vacation  begins." 

A  letter  which  he  wrote  from  Portsmouth,  16th  June,  will 
show  how  much  self-control  he  exercised  in  applying  himself 
to  mathematics.  He  calls  the  letter  a  strictly  scholastic  and 
mathematical  communication : — 


-  The  habit  of  reviewing  each  period  of  aiuAy  with  prayer  became  so 
much  a  part  of  his  nature,  that  he  was  known  on  one  occasion,  as  he  closed 
hia  books  after  a  hard  day's  reading,  to  stand  up  as  at  the  end  of  a  meal 
and  thank  God  for  what  he  had  received. 


44  Life  of  Dean  A/fo?'d.  [Chap.  II. 

To  Walter  Alford. 

''  Having  a  good  deal  of  MSS.  mathematics  to  send  you,  I 
have  taken  a  sheet  of  Cambridge  mathematical  paper,  that  I 
might  be  the  better  able  to  get  it  all  in_,  and  now  to  proceed 
to  business.  [Then  follow  three  well-filled  pages  of  mathe- 
matical figures.] 

"I  have  arranged  the  MSS.  in  order,  and  you  must  read 
them,  please,  according  to  the  figures  prefixed  to  them,  as 
the  proofs  of  some  depend  on  others  already  proved.  We 
read  Boucharlat  at  Cambridge,  and  indeed  I  am  now  just  in 
the  middle  of  the  Diflferential  Calculus,  but  I  am  sure  I 
should  never  have  mastered  it  without  a  tutor,  it  is  of  so 
much  importance  to  get  a  right  idea  of  it  at  first.  We 
read  Whewell.  I  have  now  finished  my  first  year  at  Cam- 
bridge and  entered  on  quite  a  new  course  of  reading.  The 
second  yearns  subjects  are  much  more  difficult ;  they  are  the 
second  part  of  Wood's  Algebra,  conic  sections,  mechanics, 
eleventh  book  of  Euclid,  the  Differential  and  Integral  Cal- 
culus, and  three  sections  of  Newton.  You  will  say  we  have 
enough  of  it,  and  so  say  I,  especially  as  I  intend  to  make 
classics  my  principal  study,  as  I  cannot  get  on  in  mathe- 
matics, having  very  little  liking  for  them.  Our  college 
examination  was  a  very  tough  and  fatiguing  one,  being  for 
five  days,  eight  hours  a  day.  I  did  not  feel  in  the  least 
anxious,  for  I  knew  I  had  done  all  I  could,  and  I  was  only 
anxious  to  know  what  that  all  was.  I  have  been  this  morning 
over  the  Victory,  the  ship  in  which  Nelson  fell,  of  120 
guns.  It  is  a  very  fine  sight  to  see  a  large  man-of-war  in 
perfect  order.  We  saw  the  place  where  Nelson  fell  on  the 
quarter-deck,  they  have  put  a  small  plate  of  copper,  with 
'  England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty '  engraved 
on  it.  We  saw  also  the  cabin  where  he  died.  What 
emotions  are  excited  on  visiting  sights  like  these.  I  am 
writing  to  Fanny  and  Mary,  giving  them  an  account  of  the 
Dockyard.  I  am  going  to  Tamworth  in  July,  and  from 
thence  to  Ampton,  where  my  father  intends  remaining  all 
the  vacation." 

The  following  is  the  letter  which  he  mentions  : — 


1829]  Goes  to  read  at  Portsnioiith.  45 

To  Fanny  Alford. 

"  June.  16. 

"  As  you  know  how  fond  I  am  of  scribbli  ng  by  long 
experience  in  former  days,  you  can  make  allowances  for 
my  intrusion  on  you^  especially  as  I  am  here  all  alone, 
and  writing  answers  now  and  then  the  purjDoses  of  society 
and  conversation.  The  rain  has  at  length  come,  how  many 
a  scheme  is  frustrated  by  a  summer's  day's  rain,  and  how 
very  applicable  to  all  things  is  that  adage,  '  Make  hay  while 
the  sun  shines.'  I  need  not  mention  one  particular  applica- 
tion which  your  own  mind  will  doubtless  suggest,  how  often 
do  we  put  off  that  all  important  business  from  one  fine  day 
to  another,  from  the  spring  of  childhood  to  the  summer  of 
youth  and  mature  age,  till  at  last  the  cold  and  rainy  season 
of  old  age  comes  on  us  unawares,  and  the  blasts  of  death 
begin  to  howl  about  our  frail  tenement,  and  the  recollection 
of  squandered  talents,  unimproved  opportunities,  and  mis- 
spent years  of  advantages,  adds  its  bitter  pang  to  the  sad 
repentance  which  a  life  spent  without  God  gives  cause  for. 
But  you  will  say,  this  is  your  old  strain,  moralizing  again,  as 
formerly ;  to  this  I  must  answer,  I  am  very  sorry  for  it,  but 
I  cannot  help  it.  It  seems  natural  to  my  mind  to  think  on 
things  which  are  going  on  around  me,  as  if  they  carried  an 
instruction  with  them,  and  were  meant  in  some  measure  to 
bear  a  secondary  meaning,  and  teach  a  lesson  of  spirituality 
and  heavenly-mindedness.  Simplicity  and  openness  of  cha- 
racter is  the  characteristic  of  a  servant  of  Christ.  0  may  I 
be  led  farther  and  farther  in  the  way  that  leads  to  this 
enviable  attainment,  and  may  I  become  more  humble  and 
single-minded. 

"^  I  am  now  lodging  in  a  place  which  is  as  it  were  the 
rendezvous  of  British  naval  preparation  and  strength. 
The  country  about  Portsmouth  is  not  pretty,  there  are  no 
cliffs  on  the  seashore,  but  the  beach  goes  up  quite  in  a 
flat  J  the  three  towns,  Portsmouth,  Portsea,  and  Southsea, 
are  all  situated  on  the  island  of  Portsea,  the  water  at  high 
tide  surrounds  them  all.  Portsmouth  and  Portsea  are 
strongly  fortified  with  very  broad  turf  walls,  on  which  sen- 


46  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

tinels  are  always  stationed.  It  seems  very  odd  to  be  shut 
round  with  walls  and  gates^  and  makes  me  fancy  myself  in 
some  old  Grecian  town.  There  is  a  large  garrison  of 
soldiers  always  kept  up  here,  and  they  frequently  exercise 
them  on  the  common,  which  is  a  very  fine  sight.  There 
are  some  very  good  military  bands  here,  and  they  play  on  the 
fortifications  every  night  at  nine  o^ clock,  till  nearly  ten.  The 
music  is  very  fine  :  you  can  imagine  me  highly  delighted  with 
it.  Every  morning  at  daybreak  they  fire  a  gun  from  the 
walls,  which  is  answered  by  the  ships  in  the  harbour.  In 
the  evening  at  sunset  they  fire  another,  and  another  at 
nine  o'clock,  then  the  various  bands  strike  up,  and  play  on 
different  parts  of  the  walls  till  nearly  ten,  when  they  play 
'  God  save  the  King '  and  stop.  After  that  they  won't  allow 
any  one  to  go  on  the  walls.  I  shall  reserve  a  description 
of  the  Dockyard  for  Mary,  and  tell  her  the  naval,  as  I  have  you 
the  military  lions  of  the  place.  I  am  busy  at  present  reading 
mathematics,  and  am  determined  if  I  can  to  make  myself  like 
them.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  send  this,  lest  it  should  cross 
one  from  you  on  the  way;  if  so  I  hope  they  will  have  the 
good  manners  to  wish  one  another  a  pleasant  journey." 

On  15th  of  July,  he  left  Portsmouth  and  spent  some  days 
in  London,  for  we  have  this  entry  in  his  journal: — "  19,  Sim- 
day,  half-iJCLst  six  : — Went  to  hear  Irving  in  Regent  Square; 
liked  him  very  much.  Sermon  two  hours  long,  on  '  Give 
diligence  to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure.'  "  Then  he 
spent  a  week  or  two  with  some  friends  whose  late  break- 
fasts, and  want  of  any  fixed  employment  much  tried  him, 
being  so  contrary  to  his  own  habits  of  early  rising  and  regu- 
lar occupation — ^of  this  visit  his  journal  notes. 

"July  30. — This  has  been  I  think  the  dullest  day  I  ever 
spent  in  my  life,  no  mind,  no  body  in  exercise,  but  a  sheer 
determination  and  regular  system  here,  to  do  nothing  and  let 
others  do  nothing.  0  how  thankful  should  I  be  that  I  am  not 
always  cast  into  such  a  place,  and  with  those  whom,  although 
I  love  them  sincerely,  I  must  say  I  blame  for  their  waste  of 
that  precious  time  which  was  given  for  better  purposes." 

On  his  return  to  Cambridge  he  writes  : — 


1829]  ^i  Cambridge.  47 

To  Walter  Alford. 

"  October. 
"  Feeling  myself  indisposed  for  work^  and  especially  matlie- 
matics^  I  cannot  do  better  than  answer  your  last  kind  epistle 
(I  use  this  word  to  avoid  a  rliyme) .  You  may  imagine  I 
easily  fall  in  with  my  college  habits  again^  and  return  with 
increased  relish  to  that  Academical  life,  of  which  I  am  by 
this  time  become  very  fond.  '  College  certainly  has  charms/ 
says  Kirke  White,  and  he  was  a  Johnian;  a  fortiori,  then,  must 
Trinity  have  charms,  and  I  can  testify  that  it  has  a  comfort- 
able set  of  rooms  ^  though  with  sixty  stone  steps  to  get  up  to 
them.  A  blazing  fire  and  a  door  which,  secures  my  indepen- 
dence from  without,  are  comforts  not  to  be  despised,  nay, 
on  the  contrary,  I  cannot  help  feeling  how  graciously  I  am 
dealt  with  every  time  I  look  around  me,  both  with  respect 
to  outward,  and  also  intellectual  and  spiritual  advantages. 
My  comforts  this  year  have  much  increased,  and  with  them 
also  my  temptations,  and  I  feel  more  than  ever  the  need 
of  watchfulness.  It  is  not  so  much  the  gross  outward 
temptations  of  this  or  any  other  place  that  I  have  to 
fear ;  my  inmost  feelings  recoil,  and  turn  with  disgust 
from  the  brutality  and  sensuality  of  many  men  whom  I 
see  around ;  but  it  is  the  insidious  undermining,  if  I  may 
say  so,  which  study  and  literary  habits,  carry  on  against 
the  work  of  God  in  the  soul,  it  is  the  springing  up  of 
those  seeds  of  pride  which  an  enemy  hath  sown  in  my 
heart,  and  which  are  working  slowly,  but  I  fear  surely,  to- 
wards maturity,  the  pride  of  intellectual,  philosophical,  or 
classical  acquirements,  it  is  these  I  have  to  dread;  O  the 
chilling  influence  of  literary  pursuits  and  literary  society. 
My  father  was  here  last  week.     I  always  enjoy  myself  when 


3  Attic  rooms,  Letter  B,  New  Court,  left-hand  side  of  the  staircase,  entered 
by  a  door  on  the  left  side  of  an  archway  leading  to  the  back  of  the  college. 
These  rooms,  although  they  would  not  seem  desirable  to  many  under- 
graduates, were  so  satisfactory  to  him  that  he  never  changed  them.  The 
window  of  his  sitting-room  looked  out  on  the  avenue,  and  its  sills  wei'e 
always  decked  with  flowers.  The  sixty  steps,  which  had  a  tendency  to 
repel  loungers,  increased  the  value  to  a  student.  After  he  had  left  college, 
when  he  next  visited  this  room,  he  was  soriy  to  find  a  fresh  paper  had 
obliterated  a  cathedral  he  had  drawn  on  the  wall. 


48  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  II. 

lie  is  here,  it  is  such  a  pleasure  to  show  people  things  when 
they  are  determined  to  be  pleased,  besides  there  is  not  a 
little  pleasure  in  turning  host,  and  entertaining  him  as  my 
guest,  and  thus  inverting  the  order  of  things." 

After  a  single  life  of  twenty  years,  his  father  contemplated 
a  second  marriage.  The  remarks  in  the  following  letter 
refer  to  this  : —  • 

To  HIS  Father. 

"  TTinit\j  College,  Oct.  24. 

"  All  the  plants  came  safely,  and  are  now  thriving  in  my 
window,  but  these  severe  frosts  will  try  them.  On  the  sub- 
ject we  talked  of  on  Monday,  I  can  speak  more  freely  on 
paper  than  viva  voce,  and  will  make  this  an  opportunity  of 
saying  something  about  it;  and  first,  believe  me,  dearest 
father,  when  I  say  that  for  many  years  it  has  been  my  wish 
and  continual  earnest  prayer  that  it  might  take  place,  both 
on  your  account  and  my  own,  both  for  our  spiritual  and 
temporal  good.  I  could  never  for  a  moment  allow  the  con- 
sideration of  self-interest  to  enter  into  the  question;  because, 
in  the  first  place,  I  consider  it  my  jDrivilege  to  be  able, 
and  my  duty  to  endeavour,  to  work  my  own  way,  and  at 
least  to  spare  you  all  I  can  of  expense  and  labour ;  and 
secondly,  because  even  if  I  were  entirely  dependent  on 
what  should  come  from  you,  I  should  reject  with  indig- 
nation the  bare  idea  of  my  being  an  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  what  is  so  decidedly  for  the  good  of  both  of  us.  Do 
then,  I  pray  you,  rather  consider  me  as  a  furtherance  than 
a  hindrance  to  such  a  step,  rather  as  an  additional  cause 
that  you  should,  than  as  a  reason  why  you  should  not 
take  so  desirable  a  step.*' 

On  the  subject  of  working  his  own  way,  an  extract  from 
a  former  letter  must  be  quoted. 

"You  have,  my  dear  father,  given  me  an  education  for 
which  I  can  never  be  sufficiently  thankful,  and  have  promoted 
the  cultivation  of  a  mind  in  itself  indolent  and  lethargic.  I  often 
reflect  with  pain  on  the  privations  I  know  you  submitted  to  on 
my  account,  and  am  not  a  little  angry  with  myself  for  not 
having  ever  done  any  thing  to  mitigate  your  expenses,  or  at  all 


1829]  At  Cambridge.  49 

in  tlie  way  of  providing  for  myself.  However  soon  an  oppor- 
tunity may  offer;  and  I  am  satisfied,  in  reliance  on  God's 
blessing,  that  if  I  am  not  successful  it  shall  not  be  for  want 
of  exertion  on  my  part.  I  look  upon  these  few  years  through 
which  I  am  now  passing  as  peculiarly  dedicated  to  the  culti- 
vation and  improvement  of  my  mind;  and  as  in  some  mea- 
sure differing  from  any  other  time,  either  that  I  have  passed 
or  shall  pass.  Hitherto,  or  at  least  in  former  years,  I  have 
been  getting  the  vXt),  or  matter  for  work  together;  now 
comes  the  time  for  working  on  that  matter,  and  making 
my  work  the  employment  of  the  mind  instead  of  the  mere 
mechanical  drudgery  which  it  once  necessarily  was.  Here- 
after, if  spared,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  call  into  prac- 
tice the  knowledge  now  acquired ;  and  the  more  diligent  I 
am  in  the  acquiring  it  now,  the  more  valuable  store  I  shall 
have  hereafter." 

To  Fanny  Alford. 

"  November. 

"  I  am  now  once  again  settled  in  at  Cambridge,  amid  all 
the  advantages  and  all  the  temptations  with  which  this 
place  abounds ;  advantages  for  having  every  opportunity  for 
enlarging  my  understanding  and  informing  my  mind,  and, 
what  is  more,  of  hearing  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  con- 
tinually; and  temptations  in  being  constantly  brought  into 
contact  with  men  who  live  without  God  in  the  world,  and  in 
the  chilling  eflfects  of  study  on  the  religious  affections  and 
communion  with  God  in  prayer,  and  in  being  surrounded  with 
professors  of  religion,  who  are,  many  of  them  neither  moral 
nor  religious.  I  hear  you  are  reading  Wilberforce's  'Prac- 
tical View ;'  don't  you  like  it  very  much  ?  I  know  of  no 
book  which  opens  so  much  the  present  state  of  society, 
and  the  godlessness  which  now  is  so  prevalent.  I  think 
a  few  things  are  a  little  overstated.  Oh,  if  you  knew 
the  man  himself  you  would  read  that  book  with  double 
interest. 

"  I  envy  your  domestic  fireside  and  family  party,  and  often 
look  forward  with  pleasure  to  joining  myself  to  it  for  a  few 
days.     It  is  now  going  on  for  three  years  since   I  was  at 


50  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  II. 

Heale.  We  may  come  next  summer.  My  father  talks  of 
it.  I  remember  you  and  myself  six  years  old.  Some  differ- 
ence between  six  and  eighteen." 

His  journal  at  Cambridge  continues  : — 

•*'  Nov.  9. — Met  in  Allen^s  rooms,  and  debated  on  whether 
Luxury  is  necessarily  an  attendant  on  Civilization. 

"Nov.  13. — Met  in  Burrowes'  rooms;  debated  on  Paint- 
ing and  Sculpture. 

"Nov.  20. — Made  useless  calculation  about  the  vibration 
of  musical  sounds.  At  Christie's  rooms  debated  about  the 
Diffusion  of  Knowledge ;  read  at  night  till  two. 

"Nov.  23. — Wasted  most  of  the  morning  in  doctoring  a 
clock ;  made  it  strike  the  half-hours ;  bed  at  half-past 
one. 

"Dec.  11. — Last  meeting  of  the  Debating  Society.  Sub- 
ject, Duelling." 

That  Christmas  was  spent  partly  with  his  cousin,  T.  Paget, 
at  Ampton ;  but,  as  he  was  working  hard,  he  soon  returned 
to  Cambridge. 

In  the  following  term  he  became  a  candidate  for  a 
scholarship  at  Trinity  College,  and  soon  after  the  following 
letter  was  written  we  heard  that  he  was  successful. 

To  Fanny  Alfoed. 

"  I  am  going  on  much  as  usual,  only  reading  rather  hard 
just  now,  as  the  examination  for  the  Trinity  scholarships 
comes  on  in  a  few  weeks.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  get  one;  I 
wish,  however,  to  do  my  best,  and  leave  the  issue  in  the  hands 
of  Him  who  will  ordain  all  as  it  should  be.  Eemember  me  on 
the  Friday  and  Saturday  after  Easter,  for  those  two  days  are 
our  scholarship  examination." 

His  journal  at  college  continues  : — 

"1830.  May  16.— Breakfasted  with  Sedgwick:  very 
pleasant.  Sedgwick  a  wonderful  man  indeed.  I  am  going 
out,  after  some  Greek  Testament,  to  adore  the  God  of 
Nature  in  His  works,  and  to  be  filled  with  beauty  and 
grandeur.  Eead  St.  Matthew.  I  think  our  Saviour's 
prophecies     on     the    destruction    of    Jerusalem,    and    its 


1830]  Revisits  Heale.  51 

mystical  connexiou  with  the  final  judgment^  the  most 
sublime  thing  I  ever  read. 

"May  18. — I  shall  not  easily  forget  this  nighty  when  I 
have  been  wi-iting  out  cram  till  I  cannot  actually  write 
legibly^  and  am  brimfull  of  the  examination.  I  must  work  very 
hard_,  or  I  shan^t  do.  ^Tis  only  for  my  dear  father  and  Fanny 
that  I  am  thus  working.     I  don^t  care  a  fig  for  the  first  class. 

'' June  12. — Winkfield  since  I  wrote  last.  The  whole  of 
the  Trinity  examination  has  passed,  and  I  have  got  in  the 
first  class  and  fourth. 

^^Well,  now  I  am  on  the  confines  of  my  own  beloved 
country,  and  I  am  now  looking  forward  to  seeing  them  all. 
I  don^t  know  how  it  is,  but  I  certainly  am  not  in  the  vein 
just  now.  I  have  been  working  my  brains  for  the  last  five 
minutes,  but  not  a  subject  or  a  line  will  come. 

"June  15. — Went  to  Heale  after  an  absence  of  three 
years. 

"June  27. — Delightful  walk  to  Burton  with  my  cousins. 
Went  to  the  top  of  Burton  Pynsent''  last  night.  A  most 
beautiful  sunset. 

"  The  King  George  IV.  died  at  3  a.m.  that  day.  Some 
proposed  to  sing  '  God  save  the  King  ! '  I  said,  perhaps  his 
sun  is  set  by  this  time.  It  was,  and  this  morning  we  heard 
of  it.     May  God  be  gracious  to  our  country  ! 

"  June  30. — Went  to  Ilminster,  and  dined  with  my  former 
master,  Mr.  Allen.  Bought  an  album  for  Fanny  and  Mary. 
Walked  back  to  Heale  in  an  hour  and  three  quarters. 
Beautiful  night. 

"July  2. — Wet   all   day.      Cleaned,   new-leathered,   and 


■*  Since  the  house  at  Burton  Pynsent  became  a  ruin,  that  name  has  been 
transferred  to  the  handsome  column  of  white  Portland  stone,  1-iO  feet  high, 
which  was  erected  by  the  Earl  of  Chatham  to  commemorate  the  former 
owner  of  the  estate.     The  inscription  on  the  pedestal  is  : — 

SACRED     TO     THE     MEMOEY     OF    SIR   WILLIAM    PYNSENT,    BART. 
HOC  SALTEM    TUNGAR    INANI    MUNERE. 

This  monument  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  letters  and  journals  in  this 
volume,  and  it  is  referred  to  in  a  sonnet  written  aboiit  this  time.  (Poems, 
page  162,  Sonnet  xv.)  In  Lord  Stanhope's  History  of  England,  vol.  v., 
pp.  61,  62,  there  is  a  full  account  of  the  noble  bequest  of  this  estate  in  1765 
to  the  Earl  of  Chatham  by  Sir  William  Pynsent,  the  last  baronet  of  an  old 
Somersetshire  family. 

E    2 


52  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IL 

tuned  the  dining-room  piano.  Played  '  Graces '  in  the 
nursery,  and  afterwards  '  Birds  and  Beasts '  and  '  Blind 
Man's  Buff.'  It  put  me  in  mind  of  five  years  ago.  Fanny 
and  Mary  have  asked  me  to  write  the  first  things  in  their 
albums.  Now,  of  all  things,  I  hate  writing  an  introductory 
piece  the  worst.     I  have  made  several  inefiectual  attempts. 

''  Juhj  3. — Walked  with  Fanny  and  Mary  to  Wick  Hill,  and 
picked  flowers  for  them.  One  place  particularly  beautiful, 
where  all  kinds  of  grasses  were  luxuriating  in  the  fertility  of 
the  soil.  After  went,  per  se,  to  call  on  my  father's  old  ser- 
vant, W.  W. ;  had  a  long  conversation  with  him,  and  read 
to  him  the  71st  Psalm.  Then  walked  home  with  my  cousins 
by  Westfield.     At  night  drew  a  cathedral  for  Octavia. 

"July  6. — Went,  a  large  party,  to  see  the  tesselated  pave- 
ment near  Pitney.  Well  worth  seeing.  We  drew  a  plan  of 
it.  I  drew  some,  Fanny  some,  and  Walter  some.  One  room 
is  in  the  shape  of  an  octagon.  We  saw  also  a  Eoman  bath 
near.  Delightful  view  of  Huish  Tower  as  we  were  returning. 
FOR  FANNY'S  ALBUM. 
"  From  flower  to  flower  the  singing  bee 

Hath  bounded  on  exultingly, 

And  stow'd  upon  her  honied  thigh 

The  sweets  that  in  the  blossoms  lie  : 

And  when  the  daylight  beam  hath  fled, 

Her  journey  she  hath  homeward  sped 

Back  to  the  hive  where  all  things  sweet, 

All  essences  and  fragrance  meet. 

"  From  flower  to  flower  of  melody, 
Ye  writers  in  these  pages  fly, 
And  cull  the  beauteous  and  the  sweet, 
Upon  the  album's  leaves  to  meet  j 
And  as  the  bee  hath  never  flown 
But  where  the  sun's  bright  beams  hath  shone. 
Let  every  strain  you  cull  be  bright 
With  beams  of  grace  and  heavenly  light." 

"July  7. — Nice  talk  with  my  cousins  by  moonlight.  After 
drinking  tea  at  Wiltown,  we  talked  on  creation  in  connexion 
with  geology,  on  the  exquisite  beauty  of  nature  at  that  still 
and  solemn  hour.  The  full  moon  was  clear  and  bright  in  the 
south-east,  and  Jupiter  beamed  not  far  from  her ;  and  such 
clouds,  such  shadows !  Oh,  the  rarefied  atmosphere  of  my 
soul !  ideas  sported  or  entertained  !  the  atmospheric  influence 
of  people  on  each  other's  minds  ! 


1830]  Reading  at  Portsmouth.  53 

"  July  8. — Stood  with  Fanny  and  Mary  at  the  school-room 
window,  looking  at  the  most  unclouded  and  beautiful  moon^ 
that  summer  evening  ever  beheld/' 

To  a  college  friend,  Mr.  John  [now  Archdeacon]  Allen, 
he  writes  from  Heale  House,  July  6 : — 

"  I  have  been  here  for  three  weeks ;  and  enjoying  myself  in 
the  midst  of  an  aiFectionate,  unreserved  Christian  family,  my 
spirits  are  apt  to  run  riot.  All  that  I  wish  is,  that  it  may  be 
the  riot  of  the  blushing  and  fragrant  hedge-rose,  not  that  of 
the  rampant  and  intruding  briar.  I  have  all  kinds  of  things 
to  say  to  you,  but  can't  write  them  now,  for  I  have  to  draw 
a  plan  of  a  tesselated  pavement  near  here  for  the  girls.  It  is 
now  half-past  eleven,  and  I  want  to  be  up  at  six.  I  have  just 
parted  with  my  old  (and  yet  young)  master,  your  namesake. 
He  is  ,one  of  a  thousand :  a  rare  fellow,  a  genius,  a  perfect, 
accomplished  gentleman,  and  the  interest  and  life  of  every 
company  in  which  he  is  found." 

About  the  middle  of  July  he  went  to  Portsmouth,  to  read 
with  a  mathematical  tutor,  visiting  his  friend  W.  Thring 
by  the  way,  as  his  journal  shows. 

"  Warminster,  St.  Swithin's ;  rained  all  day.  Went  with 
Mrs.  Thring  and  the  boys  to  Longleat :  very  pretty  place. 
The  King  was  buried  to-day. 

"July  16. — Left  Warminster,  and  went  by  Heytesbury, 
then  through  a  pretty  valley,  and  by  bleak  downs  on  the  left 
of  Salisbury — most  magnificent  spire  — and  on  to  South- 
ampton and  Portsmouth.'' 

To  Fanny  Alfokd. 

"  Jidy  19. 

"  With  respect  to  the  subject  which  furnished  us  matter 
for  two  or  three  conversations — the  probability  of  meeting 
and  recognizing  friends  in  heaven — I  thought  a  good  deal, 
and  searched  Scripture  yesterday.  The  passage,  1  Thess.  iv. 
13 — 18,  appears  to  me  almost  decisive.  Do  read  it  over 
again.  .  .  . 


5  See  Poems,  "  A  Night  Scene."     Jiily,  1830,  page  209. 


54  Life  of  Deem  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

'^  Tennysou  says — 

'  To  search  the  secret  is  beyond  our  lore, 
And  man  must  rest  till  God  doth  furnish  more.' 

Certainly  if  there  lias  been  one  hope  wliicli  has  borne  the 
hearts  of  Christians  up  more  than  another  in  trials  and  sepa- 
rations, it  is  this.    It  has  in  all  ages  been  one  of  the  loveliest 
in  the  chequered  prospect  of  the  future,  nor  has  it  been  con- 
fined to  Christians ;  I  mean  the  idea.     You  will  excuse  me ; 
nay,  you  will  thank  me,  I  know,  for  transcribing  an  exquisite 
passage  from  Cicero^s  treatise  on  Old  Age.     It  is  as  follows  : 
'  O  glorious  day,  when  I  shall  go  to  that  divine  assembly 
and  company  of  spirits,  and  when  I  shall  depart  out  of  this 
bustle,  this  sink  of  corruption ;  for  I  shall  go  not  only  to  those 
great  men  of  -whom  I  have  before  spoken,  but  also  to  my 
dear  Cato  (his  son),  than  whom  there  never  was  a  better 
man,  or  one  more  excellent  in  filial  affection,  whose  funeral 
rites  were  performed  by  me,  when  the  contrary  was  natural, 
viz.  that  mine  should  be  performed  by  him.     His  soul  not 
desiring  me,  but  looking  back  on  me,  has  departed  into  those 
regions  where  he  saw  that  I  myself  must  come ;  and  I  seem 
to  bear  firmly  my  affliction  (viz.  the  loss  of  him),  not  because 
I  did  not  grieve  for  it,  but  I  comforted  myself,  thinking  that 
the  separation  and  parting  between  us  would  not  be  for  long 
duration.*     I  am  at  present  reading  Plato's  book  on  the 
Immortality  of  the  Soul,  and  may  have  a  quotation  to  give 
you  out  of  that  before  I  have  finished  this  letter.  The  passage 
from  Cicero  which  I  have  copied  is  considered  one  of  the 
finest,  if  not  the  finest  passage,  in  all  the  heathen  authors. 
It  certainly  is  very  fine ;  but  now,  when  you  have  admired 
it  enough,  turn  to  2  Tim.  iv.  6 — 8,  and  compare  the  two. 
Blessed  be  He  indeed  who  has  given  us  such  a  certainty  of 
hope !     Let  us  adore  His  grace  in  Christ  which  could  put 
such  strains  of  triumph  into  the  mouth  of  the  aged  and  perse- 
cuted apostle.     Pardon  my  digression  a  little.     You  cannot 
think  how  beautiful  it  is  to  select  and  admire  the  sublimest 
and  finest  parts  of  the  classical  philosophers  and  poets,  and 
then  to  find  parallel  passages   in  Scripture,  as  may  almost 
always  be  done,  and  compare,  not  to  destroy  the  faculty  of 


1830]  Reading  at  Portsmouth.  55 

the  first,,  but  to  exalt  and  bring  into  liglit  the  divine  sub- 
limity of  the  latter.  I  have  been  reading  Plato  to-day,  and 
have  met  with  a  passage  singular  enough,  as  it  expressed  a 
doubt  on  the  subject.  The  whole  of  Plato^s  book  on  the 
Immortality  of  the  Soul  is  related  as  a  dialogue  between 
Socrates  and  his  friends  the  evening  of  his  death.  You  re- 
member Socrates  was  put  to  death  by  the  Athenians  for 
asserting  the  unity  of  the  Supreme  Being  in  opposition  to 
the  many  deities  of  Paganism;  and  he  was  executed, 
according  to  the  Athenians'  custom,  by  drinking  hemlock 
juice.  This  was  always  done  after  sunset,  as  the  Athenians 
accounted  it  unlawful  to  put  any  one  to  death  during  the 
day.  On  the  afternoon  then  before  his  death  he  conversed 
with  his  friends  on  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  which  con- 
versation Plato  has  recorded.  The  passage  to  which  I  allude 
is  as  follows  : — '  If,  my  friends,  I  did  not  expect  to  go  to  a 
wise  and  good  God,  and  to  men  who  have  died  and  are  better 
than  those  whom  I  leave  here,  I  should  do  wrong  in  not 
grieving  at  the  prospect  of  death.  But  now  be  assured  that 
I  hope  to  go  to  good  men,  but  this  I  am  not  entirely 
certain  of;  but  that  I  shall  go  to  God,  a  Master  wholly 
good,  be  assured,  if  I  am  certain  on  any  such  subject,  I  am 
on  this.' '' 

His  journal  at  Portsmouth  continues. 

''  Julij  27. — Calmest  sea  I  ever  beheld,  not  a  ripple  on 
the  water,  moon  very  beautiful :  read  Aristotle  and  Phaedo. 
Drew  Portsmouth,  also  drew  from  memory  the  view  of 
Ilminster  from  the  new  road.  Strongly  put  in  mind  of  those 
'  noctes  ccenseque  Deum.'  I  must  collect  things  from  Words- 
worth to  write  to  Fanny.  Childhood,  it  strikes  me,  would  be 
a  good  subject. 

"  July  29. — Spent  an  idle  and  hot  day;  read  Southey's  Life 
of  Nelson.  I  repeat  what  I  have  so  often  said,  no  one  is  fit 
for  any  thing  great,  unless  he  have  enthusiasm  on  some  one 
subject.  Glorious  example  in  Nelson  !  I  feel  I  am  to  do 
something  some  day,  in  what  way  He  only  knows  who  has 
the  ordering  of  my  life.  My  mind  at  present  is  of  such  a 
dissipated  and  indolent  cast,  that  I  cannot  imagine  it  raising 


56  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  II. 

itself  to  any  tiling  great.  Yet  that  it  can^  I  cannot  help 
feeling ;  this  body — ah  !  there  is  the  clog — if  I  am  not  to 
accomplish  a  career  of  greatness,  I  am  at  least  to  begin  one. 
Oh  !  the  misery  of  being  a  promise  and  nothing  else  ;  but 
hush,  God^s  will  be  done ;  let  me  then  collect  my  scattered 
energies,  and  endeavour  to  rise  superior  to  the  body  and  its 
feelings  and  weaknesses,  and  may  my  God  assist  me  therein. 
One  wish,  one  prayer  I  have  ;  that  in  all  I  may  hereafter 
acquire,  in  the  way  of  honour  or  fame,  though  I  desire 
neither,  I  would  rather  be  unappreciated  in  mine  own  age, 
or  appreciated  only  by  a  few  that  she  may  have  an  equal 
share,  and  more  than  half,  if  it  be  at  my  disposal,  shall  be 
hers.  I  have  to  serve  my  country  as  well  as  Nelson ;  our 
course  will  be  different,  their  end  the  same.  He  on  the 
ocean  of  danger,  in  the  action  and  hour  of  peril ;  I  by  labour 
of  mind,  and  doing  by  writing  and  thinking  my  best  in  my 
way.  O  Lord,  grant  me  decision  and  true  steadiness  to  pur- 
sue this  course  for  Thy  honour  and  for  the  good  of  my  coun- 
try, undeviatingly,  for  Christ's  sake.     Amen. 

"  July  30. — Sad  news  of  an  approaching  revolution  in 
France.  Paris  in  an  uproar,  the  royal  standard  pulled 
down  and  burnt.  The  Chamber  of  Deputies  refuses  to  obey 
edicts,  and  declares  itself  the  true  representative  of 
the  French  people,  and  declares  its  sittings  permanent. 
All  the  papers  except  those  on  the  Ministerial  side  are 
stopped.     ■ 

"  Lord,  heavily  Thy  scourge  hangs  o'er  that  land, 
For  they  have  felt  the  terrors  of  Thy  hand. 
The  die  is  thrown  for  liberty  or  life, 
And  happy  they  alone  whose  hearts  are  fix'd  on  Thee. 

"  Aufj.  8. — Glorious  walk  to  Fort  Cumberland  over  the 
sands,  saw  some  names  written  on  the  sands. 

"  So  on  the  shifting  sands  of  life 
Our  feeble  joys  we  trace  ; 
So  soon  the  refluent  waves  of  time 
The  ileeting  lines  efface. 

^'Learnt  Montgomery's  lines  on  prayer  ^per  se/  had 
beaming  and  burning  thoughts,  a  thousand  phosphoric  sparks 


1830]  Reading  at  Portsmouth.  57 

of  poetry  leaping  about  in  my  mind,  but  no  settled  or  fixable 
beam  :  was  intensely  happy.  The  sea  was  calm,  the  evening 
lovely,  and  Hesper  was  mildly  looking  down  on  the  face  of 
the  waters.  I,  in  anticipation  of  the  future,  the  prospective 
and  anxious  view  of  many  a  bud  of  hope  expanding  into  a 
blossom  of  joy,  and  the  certainty  of  the  care  and  love  of  an 
all  good  and  all  gracious  God,  who  will  order  all  things  as 
shall  be  best  for  me ;  grounds  indeed  of  happiness,  why 
am  I  not  always  happy  ? 

"Aug.  17. — Had  a  glorious  pull  in  the  evening  with 
Blakesley®,  and  Spedding  and  his  brother,  round  the  French 
King's  vessel,  which  is  at  Spithead. 

"Aug.  19. — Finished  the  third  book  of  Herodotus.  I 
hope  this  day  will  be  to  me  the  beginning  of  regular  and 
steady  reading.  When  I  think  of  the  things  I  have  to  urge 
me  forward,  I  am  ashamed  of  myself  for  my  want  of  energy, 
and  my  listlessness  of  mind  in  not  grappling  with  subjects 
which  I  might  overcome  without  very  great  difficulty.  I 
may  repent  when  I  come  to  take  my  degree  every  hour  I 
waste  now. 

"Aug.  22. — Let  me  record  a  few  of  the  workings  of  my 
mind,  and  the  effects  which  those  workings  have  produced 
upon  the  body. 

"  0,  wlieii  shall  this  frail  tenement  of  clay 
Be  emptied  by  Death's  peremptory  call. 
And  its  celestial  guest  be  fetch'd  away 
From  mortal  tenure  and  corporeal  thrall : 
A  beam  to  mingle  with  the  flood  of  day, 
A  part  to  join  unto  the  glorious  All  ? 
When  shall  the  kingly  Intellect  have  fled 
From  this  his  dull  material  servitude, 
And  Thought  exalt  her  long-abased  head, 
With  pomp  of  heavenly  majesty  endued  ? 
And  when  shall  the  affection,  here  below 
Broken  by  parting  in  its  stream  of  light. 
Dash  off  the  earthly  vestiture  of  woe. 
And  shine  with  everlasting  radiance  bright  ?  " 

Sonnet  xxviii.     Poems,  p.  169. 

"  Who  would  have  thought  that  I  should  have  committed 
a  sonnet  on  life,  death,  and  immortality,  in  a  five  minutes' 
diary  on  a  Sunday  evening  ? 

*  Now  Dean  of  Lincoln. 


58  Life  of  Demi  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

"  Aug.  29. — Eyde.  A  glorious  walk  to-day  and  intercourse 
with  the  universe  and  Him  who  made  it.  Passed  through 
Brading,  on  the  Down,  magnificent  divine  view ;  had  Words- 
worth with  me  :  repeated  the  Platonic  Ode,  and  thought  on 
it ;  reflected  on  faith  in  old  age.  Plato^s  Elysium  as  applied 
to  it,  fear  in  small  dangers,  courage  in  great  ones,  self-sacri- 
fice and  many  multifold  subjects  naturally  occurring  to  an 
active  and  restless  mind,  natm-ally  flowing  from  a  full 
and  grateful  heart.  Felt  much  of  the  beauty  of  love 
in  the  universe,  the  resignation  which  nature  shows  in 
autumn,  in  fact  of  every  thing  which  earth,  and  sea,  and  air 
had  to  suggest  of  inward  worship  in  that  awful  and  infinite 
temple.     Thought  of  an  old  age  of  conjugal  love,   .   .  , 

"  Sept.  7. — After  finishing  Herodotus,  lib.  iii.,  and  read- 
ing Spherical  Trigonometry  to-day,  I  rowed  with  the 
other  men  to  Eyde.  It  was  rather  rough,  but  the  waves 
carried  our  little  gig  over  their  backs  in  fine  style,  and  we 
arrived  there  safely  and  triumphantly;  we  settled  that  it 
would  be  advisable  to  row  along  shore  to  Netherstone  and 
proceeded  to  embark,  the  other  men  got  in,  and  I  had  to 
get  in  last.  I  aimed  directly  at  the  middle  of  the  boat,  but 
some  how  or  other,  either  by  the  boat^s  moving  before  I  was 
well  in  her,  or  by  a  wave  carrying  her  on  one  side,  I  stepped 
far  from  the  middle  and  over  she  went,  I  found  myself  with 
the  sound  of  mighty  waters  in  my  ears,  and  in  an  instant 
after  had  hold  of  the  keel  of  our  boat  which  was  now  ava 
Karco,  the  other  men  were  some  swimming,  and  some  clinging 
to  the  boat.  Blakesley  and  I  got  into  a  wherry  which  was 
near,  Spedding  swam  to  the  pier  with  the  greatest  com- 
posure, and  came  in  like  a  first-rate  under  sail,  Allen  was 
clinging  to  the  boat,  and  at  last  got  into  the  wherry,  so  we 
were  all  safe.  Spedding  and  I  bought  grotesque  dry  things. 
Blakesley,  very  gaily  equipped,  found  us  out,  and  brought 
us  to  a  most  hospitable  lady's  house,  a  Mrs.  Good,  who  gave 
us  all  that  was  required  from  her  husband's  wardrobe,  and 
was  exceedingly  kind  and  gave  us  some  tea.  Home  by 
steamer.     Tw  ©ew  So^a. 

"  Sept.  13. — Very  delightful  walk  to-day,  cliffs,  grand  coast. 


1830]  Returns  to  Cambridge.  59 

sea-views^  and  dark  and  luxuriant  timber^  all  my  favouiites. 
Oh.  the  delights  of  natm*e  as  connected  with,  reflection  and 
anticipation,  and  the  worship  of  the  human  mind,  and  our 
great  and  bountiful  Creator  !  I  think  that  the  scraps  which 
I  have  written  in  this  book,  with  a  few  more  would  make  a 
book,  but  then  I  like  them  so  well  in  their  rough  state,  and 
it  would  be  such  a  silly,  unprofitable  book,  that  I  shall  not 
take  the  trouble.  The  truth  is  I  must  furnisb  my  mind  with 
more  materials  before  I  think  of  it.  I  know  little  of  history, 
less  of  philosophy,  least  of  all  of  criticism.  Just  let  me  call 
over  the  muster-roll  of  my  mind. 

"Sept.  22. — Walter  here  to  see  the  place,  took  him  a 
walk  round  the  walls,  went  to  Dusautoy^s  church,  consider- 
able disturbance  caused  by  a  mad  man  coming  in  and  cry- 
ing '  fire.^ 

"  8ept.  30. — Reading  hydrostatics,  and  like  them  very 
muck.  One  month  more  of  dreams,  instead  of  as  mucli  of 
life.  O  when  shall  we  wake  to  reality,  wken  shall  we  be  borne 
into  eternity  ?  This  progression  of  time  is  a  veil  cast  over 
the  truth,  we  are  formed  for  other  objects  than  change  and 
passage  can  afi'ord  us.  The  world  is  a  channel  into  which 
God  lets  a  partial  and  elapsing  stream  of  the  great  deep 
of  eternity  -,  all  seems  flowing  onward  here  because  we  can 
see  no  farther,  but  existence  is  not  a  lapse,  being  cannot  be 
a  progression. 

"  We  see  things  fleeting  round  us,"  &c.7 

From  Ampton,  where  he  spent  a  short  time  before  return- 
ing to  Cambridge,  he  writes  in  his  journal : — 

"  Oct.  9. — Took  out  the  tune  '  Bedford '  from  the  organ  in 
the  chm'ch,  and  set  it  fresh  with  longer  intervals.  Reading 
Butler^ s '  Analogy.' 

"  Oct.  10,  Sunday, — Read  and  extracted  some  of  Chalmers' 
sermon  on  'The  unvarying  course  of  Nature  and  the  ex- 
pulsive power  of  a  new  affection,'  very  good  and  fine ;  read 


7  Sonnet  xxix.,  altered  thus  : — "  All  things  ai'e  dying  round  us."  It  was 
during  this  summer  that  five  of  his  lyrical  pieces  were  written.  "  Poems  " 
pp.  209—214.. 


6o  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

at  niglit  LeigMon's  sermon  on  '  Wliat  is  that  to  thee  ?  follow 
thou  Me/  0  for  the  zeal  and  unction  of  some  of  those  elder 
divines,  especially  of  Leighton,  when  I  have  to  declare  the 
truths  of  the  Gospel  to  men;  I  long  for  the  time,  I  know 
not  how  it  will  be  with  me.  I  lie  in  the  hand  of  God,  let 
Him  do  what  seemeth  good  unto  me. 

''Oct.  12. — Looked  over  both  the  Tennysons'  poems 
at  night :  exquisite  fellows.  I  know  no  two  books  of 
poetry  which  have  given  me  so  much  pure  pleasure  as  their 
works." 

It  was  at  this  time  that  he  wrote  the  lines  entitled  "  Mid- 
night Thoughts,"  Poems,  page  127.  On  his  return  to 
Cambridge  he  continued  his  journal : — 

''  Found  a  letter  from  my  uncle  asking  me  to  become  god- 
father to  his  last  child.  So  opens  my  career  of  responsi- 
bility, where  to  end  He  only  knows  in  whose  hands  are  all 
our  matters  and  prospects.  Reading  Gray's  '  Letters,'  finished 
Irving's  '  Life  of  Columbus,'  a  most  interesting  and  useful 
book,  with  some  eccentricities  of  style  and  diction,  but  much 
true  talent,  much  of  the  penetration  of  genius.  What  an 
example  of  human  and  civilized  depravity  is  the  ruin  and 
desolation  of  those  lovely  spots  by  the  Spaniards  !  truly  such 
things  tempt  one  to  wish  for  '  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilder- 
ness, some  boundless  continuity  of  shade,'  but  then  the  de- 
lights and  sympathies  of  social  and  domestic  intercourse, 
and  the  holy  communion  of  heavenward  pilgrims,  and  the 
joyous  participation  of  hope,  and  the  lightening  division  of 
sorrow,  and  the  kindle  of  imparted  smiles,  the  glisten  of 
sympathizing  tears  spread  light  and  lovehness  over  the 
haunts  of  men,  and  the  soul  loathes  as  ungenial  the  distant 
and  solitary  waste. 

After  dinner  Vaughan  called ;  chapel.  Blakesley  came  to 
tea  and  asked  me  to  become  an  Apostle,  Heath  came  too. 
Walked  with  him  in  the  cloisters  and  talked  of  Coleridge 
and  Shelley,  &c. 

Met  Tennant,  Hall  am,  Merivale,  and  the  three  Tennysons  at 


1830]  Meeting  ivith  W.  Wordsworth.  61 

Alfred  Tennyson's  rooms^  the  latter  read  some  very  exquisite 
poetry  of  his  'Anacaona/  and  ^The  Hesperides/  Tennant 
read  a  very  beautiful  sonnet  to  a  little  child.  Found  at  my 
rooms  a  notice  for  an  English  declamation^  wasted  almost 
all  the  morning'  in  looking  for  subjects.  A  man  named 
Bland  chose  the  character  of  Edward  I.  as  a  subject,  and  I 
to  defend  him.  After  went  to  the  first  meeting  of  the 
'  Fifty/  a  society  for  true  practice  in  speaking  culled  from 
the  Union ;  a  very  pleasing  meeting ;  they  elected  Blakesley 
president  and  myself  secretary,  and  Cameron,  Hallam,  and 
Spedding  committee-men. 

"  Od.  30. — Just  elected  an  Apostle^  Blakesley  proposed 
me. 

"  Oct.  31. — "Went  to  a  poetical  society  at  Tennant^ s,  read 
them  my  two  sonnets — 

'  I  love  thee,  Poetry,' 

and 

'  We  see  things  fleeting  round  us.' 

Hallam  read  some  beautiful  things,  Kinglake  a  pretty  little 
piece. 

"Nov.  7. — I  have  opened  a  debate  in  the  Union  about 
Wordsworth,  and  have  been  elected  their  treasurer.  I  must 
work  hard  next  week  for  many  reasons. 

"  Dec.  3. — Dreadful  state  of  the  country.  Fearful  fire  at 
Coton  last  night,  went  there  and  worked  engines.  Peacock 
assembled  the  men  in  the  cloisters  and  organized  us  in  bodies 
of  ten  or  eleven,  in  case  of  an  attack  on  Cambridge  which  is 
meditated. 

"Dec.  19. — Though  it  is  now  two  o^clock,  and  I  am  bed- 
ward  disposed,  I  must  stop  to  relate  a  most  glorious  evening 
spent  in  the  company  of  and  in  conversation  with  Words- 
worth It  was  at  Spedding^s  rooms,  present — Wordsworth^ 
Spedding,  Blakesley,  Thompson,  Tennant,  Brookfield,  and 
myself.     If  I  remember   rightly  the  first  thing  we  spoke   of 


8  A  very  small  society  of  reading  and  thinking  men,  meeting  weekly  at 
each  other's  rooms,  for  the  discussion  of  literary,  historical,  political,  and 
philosophical  questions,  and  living  at  other  times  iu  habits  of  close  in- 
timacy. 


62  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [C  h  ap.  1 1 . 

was  the  great  work  of  Coleridge.  Wordsworth  said  his 
MSS.  were  in  such  a  state  of  forwardness,  that  should  he 
die,  they  would  be  intelligible  to  the  public.  Thence  to  the 
'  Christabel '  the  transition  was  easy.  Wordsworth  does  not 
believe  the  story  to  have  an  end  and  had  rather  have  it 
without  the  second  part;  inasmuch  as  the  second  part  creates 
an  expectation,  and  he  thinks  the  daylight — at  least  so  abrupt 
and  so  short  a  notice, of  them  in  that  state — divests  the  per- 
sons of  much  of  their  charm ;  thus  if  Milton  had  only  just 
brought  Satan  out  of  Hell  to  this  earth  and  there  left  him, 
he  had  much  better  have  kept  him  in  Hell,  where  he  showed 
to  so  much  more  advantage.  It  takes  some  time  to  give  the 
characters  a  charm  in  their  new  situation,  and  to  make  us 
acquainted  with  them.  Milton  pursues  it  through  several 
books  and  thus  we  become  familiar  with  it.  He  next  spoke 
of  the  '  Aids  to  Reflection,'  which  Wordsworth  considers 
rather  to  have  been  a  collection  of  marginal  notes  which 
Coleridge  made  in  the  books  from  which  the  aphorisms  are 
taken,  than  any  settled  writing  on  the  subjects,  and  to  have 
been  published  by  the  request  of  friends.  Coleridge  has  not 
laboured  many  of  his  published  poems,  many  of  the  others 
he  has  overmuch.  Wordsworth  considers  the  conclusion  to 
a  part  of  the  '  Christabel '  too  minute  and  laboured.  Then  we 
spoke  of  the  '  Kubla  Khan,'  as  to  whether  it  was  actually 
composed  in  a  dream,  certainly  Coleridge  believes  so. 
Wordsworth  thinks  it  might  very  possibly  have  been  com- 
posed between  sleeping  and  waking,  or,  as  he  expressed  it, 
in  a  morning  sleep ;  he  said  some  of  his  own  best  thoughts 
had  come  to  him  in  that  way.  Then  to  Walter  Scott's  '  De- 
monology'  and  spectral  appearances.  He  said  he  was  in- 
clined to  detract  much  from  the  invention  of  the  romances 
of  the  middle  ages,  from  the  multitude  of  natural  appearances 
which  might  be  taken  for  supernatural ;  mentioned  amongst 
others  a  remarkable  appearance  of  an  island,  which  he  had 
once  seen  on  Grasmere  lake,  produced  by  a  reflection  from 
the  rocks  and  woods  on  the  sides  on  a  sheet  of  ice  on  the 
lake,  which  made  it  appear,  as  if  an  island  of  about  four  or 
five  acres  stood  out  from  the  lake,  covered  with  wood  and 


1830]  Meeti?ig  with  W.  Wordszvorth.  63 

variegated  with  rocks,  &c.  He  was  with  his  sister  at  the 
time,  and  came  upon  it  suddenly.  The  first  idea  which 
struck  him  was  (although  he  was  well  aware  that  such  an 
event  could  not  take  place  without  much  noise),  that  part 
of  the  mountain  had  slidden  down  into  the  lake ;  but  this 
only  crossed  his  mind  and  was  not  there  the  hundredth 
part  of  a  second;  and  afterwards  by  comparing  and  exa- 
mining the  image,  they  found  it  an  exact  reflection  of  a 
part  of  the  sides  of  the  lake.  He  went  in  to  call  Mrs. 
Wordsworth,  but  before  she  came  it  had  subsided  into  an 
inverted  reflection,  not  so  bright  as  some  he  had  seen  on 
the  lakes.  Eeflections  are  unusually  bright  there,  so  that 
often  you  cannot  tell  where  the  land  terminates  and  the 
reflection  begins ;  the  reflection  is  the  brighter  of  the 
two,  owing  to  the  smooth  polish  of  the  lake,  in  the  same 
way  as  a  picture  which  is  varnished  is  brighter  than  one 
which  is  not.  He  likewise  spoke  of  the  reflection  of  a 
star  on  a  lake  which  was  contracted  and  obscured  by  in- 
visible bays.  Spedding  asked  him  whether  he  had  actually 
seen  the  phenomenon  which  he  describes  in  '  The  Excur- 
sion '  from  the  mountain.  He  said  he  had,  but  not  all  at 
the  same  time,  but  had  filled  it  up  with  others  seen  at 
difierent  times  and  something  of  his  own  imagination. 

"  Described  having  seen  a  castle  (in  company  with  Cole- 
ridge) at  the  bottom  of  a  lake,  where  the  building  itself 
was  hid  in  mist,  and  the  rays  from  it  had  found  a  passage 
under  the  water.  Spoke  of  thunderbolts,  &c.,  and  said  that 
fables  and  superstitions  might  liave  been  built  upon  all  these 
appearances  in  the  middle  ages.  Spoke  of  thunder,  and 
thunder-storms.  He  gave  a  grand  description  of  a  thunder- 
storm in  Savoy  (I  think)  where  there  was  a  very  extensive 
prospect,  and  the  lightning  seemed  to  come  in  floods,  and 
bathed  the  whole  country  in  a  sulphurous  kind  of  light.  He 
then  inquired  about  the  state  of  religion  in  the  University, 
had  been  trying  to  use  his  influence  and  should  do  so,  to 
get  men  better  prepared  at  the  public  schools  before  sent  up 
to  the  University,  and  course  of  reading  enlarged.  Talked 
much  of  Eton,  and  famous  men  there  produced;  he  con- 


64  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  II. 

sidered  it  odd  that  Eton  had  produced  so  few  famous 
literary  men,  naming  Harris ;  he  had  not  much  respect  for 
Harris,  thinks  his  '  Hermes '  a  very  shallow  book  ;  thinks 
Coleridge  speaks  highly  of  him  from  having  had  his  thoughts 
called  out  by  him,  and  having  been  put  into  a  good  humour 
by  writing  margiaal  notes  about  him,  and  then  fancying  his 
own  thoughts  were  in  Harris :  thinks  much  of  this  is  in 
Coleridge's  way.  Spoke  of  his  darkening  things  by  illustra- 
tion, or  at  least  dazzling  our  sight  which  is  much  the  same. 
He  said  Southey  had  compared  it  the  other  day  to  hunting 
with  apiece  of  bacon  to  confound  the  scent.  Proceeded  to 
talk  of  the  effect  upon  the  public  mind — of  what  effect  should 
be  produced;  of  De  Quincey;  the  article  on  Kant  in  'Black- 
wood;' does  not  think  he  would  abuse  Berkeley;  of  passive 
obedience — thinks  things  would  be  much  better  if  men  would 
observe  its  doctrines  more  than  they  do ;  thence  we  came  to 
the  state  of  the  country,  the  general  effects  of  revolution 
— the  general  unfitness  of  nations  to  receive  them — ought  to 
be  prepared  by  knowledge ;  is  apprehensive  of  an  increasing 
desire  of  reform  in  this  country,  and  a  reign  of  terror,  got 
exceedingly  eloquent  on  this  subject ;  said  he  should  talk  till 
nine  to-morrow,  if  he  did  not  go ;  however,  we  kept  him 
longer  on  the  same  subject;  he  showed  the  exceeding  impor- 
tance of  the  middle  or  resisting  classes,  as  he  called  them, 
who  will  not  bestir  themselves  till  occasion  really  requires, 
but  then  he  hopes  will  effectually  resist  the  rabble ;  thinks 
ministers  will  disagree  and  Lord  Grey  secede,  and  that  the 
more  reform  is  granted,  the  more  the  people  will  want.  He 
said  any  discerning  man  might  have  seen  that  when  the 
bone  of  contention  given  by  the  Catholic  Bill  was  removed, 
something  else  would  engage  parties.  Spoke  of  the  press 
inciting  the  people,  and  the  shameful  temporizing  and  fear  of 
the  magistrates.  He  said  also  he  had  frequently  had  dreams 
of  gliding  about  in  the  air  without  wings,  and  that  this  was 
always  connected  with  a  sense  of  being  admired  and  with  self- 
conceit,  and  he  had  sometimes  thought  that  the  line  in  Milton, 

'High  conceits  engender  pride,' 
had  reference  to  some  such  dreamy  appearances  ;  and  much 


1830]  Visits  his  Father.  65 

more,  which  I  shall  no  doubt  remember  bit  by  bit  here- 
after, for  this  is  a  night  I  shall  never  forget.  I  count  it  one 
of  the  proud  passages  of  my  life,  to  have  met  and  conversed 
with  Wordsworth.     Bed  at  three. 

"i)ec.  22. — A  BelFs  Scholarship  has  fallen  vacant;  I  must 
read  hard,  especially  mathematics,  and  try  for  it.  I  have 
been  very  happy  and  very  busy  throughout  this  term ;  laden 
with  work  and  with  mercies,  I  have  been  happy  in  the  acces- 
sion of  several  very  valuable  acquaintances  in  the  '  Apostles,^ 
who  have  done  my  mind  much  good,  and  contributed  I  hope, 
to  make  me  less  desultory  and  ill-arranged  than  before.  I 
have  become  intimate  and  internal  with  two  men  whom  I 
shall  ever  love  and  respect,  Hallam  and  Tennant.  Certainly, 
I  have  done  more  to  improve  myself  this  term  than  during 
any  one  that  preceded  it.  I  have  been  able  to  unbosom  myself 
more  to  Hallam  and  Tennant  than  to  any  men  I  have  known 
here;  full  of  blessings,  full  of  happiness,  drawing  active 
enjoyment  from  every  thing,  wondering,  loving,  and  being 
loved.  Thus  another  term  has  passed  in  full,  and  almost 
unclouded  sunshine  of  mind  and  spirit.  Oh,  may  the  foun- 
tain of  this  my  light  be  no  mock  sun  of  this  earth^s  impulse 
atmosphere,  which  a  cloud  has  made,  and  which,  at  the 
return  of  the  blue  sky,  will  vanish  away,  but  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  itself! 

"  At  night  Hallam  came  full  of  love  and  happiness,  sat  up 
with  him  till  four  a.m. ;  promised  to  write  to  him." 

From  Ampton,  where  the  Christmas  was  spent  with  his 
father,  his  journal  says : — 

"Dec.  24 — Just  come  here.  I  have  this  year  g-ot  a  scholar- 
ship ;  in  April  became  an  Apostle ;  treasurer  to  the  Union  in 
November;  secretary  to  the  Fitzwilliam;  member  of  the 
English  Club;  obtained  many  valuable  acquaintances  and 
opinions ;  or  rather  had  those  now  to  whom  I  could  without 
restraint  confess  my  old  ones.  My  new  acquaintances 
have  been  Hallam,  Tennant,  and  Alfred  Tennyson.  Read 
principally  classics,  and  met  Wordsworth. 

''Dec.  2 7. -Finished  Wordsworth's  Tlatonic  Ode,'  which 
I  have  copied  out  for  Fanny,  and  wrote  a  long  and  philoso- 


66  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IL 

phical  letter  to  her.     I  said  mucli  in  this  letter  I  should  like 
to  keep,  but  it  is  safe  in  her  hands/' 

The  following  extracts    are  taken  from    the   letter   thus 
referred  to : — 

To  Fanny  Alpoed. 

"  Arn/gion,  Dec.  27. 
"  I  mean  to  write  a  long  and  philosophical  letter.  Under 
this  frank,  I  have  sent  you  a  very  exquisite  ode  of  Words- 
worth's, commonly  called  his  '  Platonic  Ode ;  or.  Evidence 
of  Immortality  from  Recollections  of  Childhood.'  I  will 
first  give  you  an  analysis  of  the  ode.    .     .     . 

''  This  ode  was  written  at  that  time  of  life  the  feelings  of 
which  you  and  I  cannot  yet  fully  enter  into — the  decline  and 
autumn  of  man's  days,  when  the  green  leaf  grows  sere, 
and  the  temples  are  sprinkled  with  grey.  It  consists  of 
a  recalling  and  contemplating  the  feelings  of  early  child- 
hood, and  deducing  from  them  evidences,  or  rather  inti- 
mations of  immortality.  Permit  me  again  to  say,  that  this 
ode  requires  study  and  thought;  it  is  not  a  sort  of  thing 
which  you  can  read  over,  and  say,  '  it  is  pretty,'  but  it  con- 
tains high  and  secret  sentiments,  and  deep  philosophy,  which 
deserve  a  considerable  share  of  thought  and  meditation." 
[Then  come  two  closely  written  pages  of  criticism.] 

^'I  should  much  like  to  send  you  frequently  pieces  of 
poetry  and  prose  which  are  favourites  of  my  own,  with  my 
remarks,  such  as  they  are,  upon  them.  My  view  would  be, 
to  let  you  into  the  pleasure  which  I  have  myself  felt  from 
this  kind  of  contemplation,  aud  to  form  your  mind  and  im- 
prove my  own. 

"  It  appears  to  me,  Socrates  was  the  one  of  all  others  most 
enlightened  among  the  heathen,  and  to  whom  Grod  appears 
to  have  vouchsafed  some  dim  and  indistinct  glimmerings  of 
the  truth.  His  knowledge,  so  far  as  it  was  good,  must  have 
proceeded  from  that  one  overruling  principle  whom  we 
acknowledge,  aud  for  the  belief  of  which  he  died;  so  far  we 
are  certain,  all  beyond  is  not  for  us,  but  for  God.  Some  day 
or  other,  even  when  we  arrive  at  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  we 
shall  know,  even  as  we  are  known,  and  be  permitted  to  look 


1 8  3 1  ]  Visits  his  Father.  6  7 

into  the  deep  things  of  God.  To  that  blessed  time  let  us  all 
look ;  for  it  let  us  pray  that  an  abundant  entrance  may  be 
ministered  unto  us  unto  the  Kingdom  of  God  our  Saviour/^ 
[Then  a  quotation  from  Seneca  on  the  reason  why  good  men 
suffer  affliction.] 

Journal  continued : — 

^'^1831.  Jan.  1. — Dined  at  Lord  Calthorpe^s.  Pleasant 
evening.  Heard  account  of  evidence  before  the  House  of 
Commons  on  the  Scotch  Poor  Laws  by  Dr.  Chalmers. 

"Jan.  3. — Finished  'The  Eevolt  of  Islam/  and  wrote  a 

sonnet   thereon.      Dined    at    the  Hall  again.      Met 

there;  she  played  '^The  Heavens  are  telling.'  1  do  not 
like  encumbering  and  beclouding  thus  fine  airs  with 
such  a  multitude  of  variations  ;  she  has  good  execution. 

"Jan.  5. — ^Wrote  to  Hallam  to-day;  the  letter  had  an 
atrociously  long  sentence  in  it.  Dined  again  at  Lord  Cal- 
thorpe's.  Read  Malden\s  '  History  of  Rome '  yesterday, 
and  to-day  a  delightful  book  written  in  a  most  enchanting 
legendary  style.  Give  us  the  legends  as  they  are,  and  let  us 
exercise  our  own  judgment  upon  them,  instead  of  giving  us 
truisms  and  stripping  off  the  glorious  mist  which  enwraps 
ancient  and  heroic  times  ;  that  historian  insults  the  common 
sense  of  his  readers  who  does  not  leave  them  to  pursue 
narratives  of  facts  for  themselves.  Composed  part  of  a 
poem  on  the  Polar  regions.  Dined  at  Lord  Calthorpe's. 
Fancy  me  mistaken  for  an  unmusical  and  unpoetical 
person. 

"  Jan.  7. — Cold  and  frosty.  In  the  evening  saw  a  magni- 
ficent Aurora  Borealis ;  certainly  the  finest  I  ever  saw.  It 
began  by  a  bright  light,  like  that  produced  by  a  fire,  in  the 
north,  and  extended  in  the  form  of  an  arch  to  the  west, 
where  it  was  of  a  bright  rose  colour ;  then  there  came  a 
bright  arch  of  white  flame  all  across  the  sky,  like  that  I  saw 
at  Acton  (October,  1828).  Afterwards  twenty  or  thirty 
pillars  of  white  fire  stood  up  in  the  north,  and  coruscations 
took  place  in  all  quarters  ;  the  bright  arch  faded,  and  another 
began  to  be  formed,  but  did  not  unite.  The  pillars  increased 
in  size  and  number,  and  were  bent  in  all  directions,  seeming 
F  2 


6S  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  II. 

as  if  blown  aside  by  wind  and  waving  about ;  in  some  parts 
they  were  of  a  pure  white,  in  others  flame-coloured,  and  in 
others  again  deep  crimson.  Then  the  sky  appeared  smeared 
or  dented  with  all  these  tints  in  confusion  ;  and  lastly  turned 
into  a  pure  calm  brightness  in  the  north,  which  now  con- 
tinues (eleven  o'clock),  and  makes  it  as  light  as  on  a  moon- 
light night,  although  there  is  no  moon.  A  truly  glorious 
and  magnificent  sight,  one  I  have  long  wished  to  see,  and 
now  at  last  have  seen.  I  saw  no  quick  waverings  about  of 
bands  of  light  such  as  take  place  in  the  Polar  Auroras,  and 
which  are  compared  by  Scoresby  to  the  waving  of  ribbon  held 
in  the  hand.  I  should  think  this  must  be  one  of  the  finest 
ever  seen  in  this  country ;  at  least  if  the  descriptions  I  have 
read  be  correct." 

The  following  lines,  which  were  not  retained  in  the  last 
edition  of  his  poems,  were  written  on  this  day  : — 

WRITTEN  DURING  AN  AUROHA  BOREALIS,  JANUARY  7,  1831. 

"  Lo,  where  they  play,  the  fiery  squadrons  bright, 
Along  the  spangled  azure  of  the  night ; 
Waving  aloft  their  ensigns,  where  the  while 
Wheels  to  the  sphered  music  many  a  file 
Of  heavenly  soldiery,  and  pour'd  on  high 
Far  o'er  the  orient  and  the  so'athern  sky. 
Fair  stations  of  still  fire  their  watches  keep, 
O'er  half  the  world  entranced  in  slumber  deep. 
Or,  issuing  into  brightness,  dome  and  hall, 
And  palace  front  distinct  with  columns  tall. 
In  mystic  maze  of  varied  light  are  driven 
Along  the  pictured  conclave  of  the  Heaven  : 
And  ever  and  auou  upon  the  North 
Vistas  of  rosy  flame  are  opening  forth, 
And  centres  of  intense  and  throbbing  light 
Pour  eddying  brilliance  o'er  the  arch  of  night. 
So,  in  the  primal  infancy  of  man. 
Ere  yet  the  desolating  curse  began, 
Hues  of  celestial  sheen  were  wont  to  rise 
Far  o'er  the  blos'my  groves  of  paradise  ; 
While  the  blest  pair  stood  wondering  to  behold 
Shiftings  of  myriad  gleams  from  wings  of  gold, 
And  in  a  deeper  glory  faint  descried. 
Mid  blazonry  of  banners  floating  wide, 
Some  seraph  Hierarch,  on  his  airy  way, 
'Companied  earthward  by  that  high  array." 

The  following  letter  was  written  on  January  19  to  Mrs.  R. 
Gibson,  a  cousin,  then  recently  married : — 


1831]  The  Bell  Scholarship.  69 

"  I  despair  of  equalling  the  pleasure  which  your  letter  gave 
me.  I  rejoice  that  it  has  pleased  our  Heavenly  Father  to 
give  you  so  fair  an  heritage,  as  I  know  from  your  letter  you 
have.  Might  we  not  all  find  our  heritages  fair,  if  the  will  to 
do  so  were  present  with  us  ?  I  am  sure  ever  since  I  saw 
you  I  may  say  always  I  have  been  happy ;  I  have  nothing  to 
complain  of,  rather  every  thing  to  give  thanks  for.  I  dare 
say  you  know  what  I  mean,  and  at  such  times  the  thought 
is  delightful.  What  shall  I  render  for  all  His  benefits  ? 
Poor,  poor  indeed,  are  my  returns.  As  good  old  delightful 
Bishop  Beveridge  says,  '  My  very  repentance  wants  repent- 
ing of,  and  my  holiest  acts  want  purifying  afresh  in  the 
blood  of  Christ.'  What  a  delightful  thing  it  is,  after  all  the 
doubts  and  controversies  of  science  and  philosophy,  to  turn 
to  the  pure  simple  truths  of  Scripture,  '  We  have  all 
sinned.  Jesus  died  for  sinners.  Believe,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved.'  It  is  like  turning  from  the  flickering  and  dancing 
of  a  meteor  to  the  pure  fixed  stars  that  beam  for  ever,  and 
are  of  a  brightness  that  fails  not.  You  spoke  of  my  future 
prospects.  I  always  feel  that  they  are  in  the  best  hands. 
Next  to  Him  who  will  do  all  things  well  for  me,  I  have  un- 
limited confidence  in  my  dearest  father ;  I  believe  he  would 
do  nothing  which  did  not,  in  his  ideas,  most  conduce  to  my 
real  benefit  and  substantial  good ;  I  believe  (and  not  with- 
out reason  and  evidence)  that  he  would  surrender  his  own 
particular  wishes  and  designs  for  me." 

One  of  his  lyrical  pieces,  ''  Eefresh  me  with  the  light  blue 
violet,''  Poems,  p.  215,  appears  to  have  been  written  early  in 
this  year. 

His  journal  proceeds  as  follows : — 

"March  21. — Well,  the  Bell  is  out,  and  I  have  got  it. 
So  far,  so  good.  I  must  now  read  mathematics  rather 
fiercely. 

"  March  25.— Left  Cambridge  for  a  few  days'  holiday  in  the 
West.  Tennant'  joined  me  at  Reading.  We  went  to  Clifton 
by  Barley  Wood  (Mrs.  H.  More's  former  abode),  and  walked 


'■>  Afterwards  British  Chaplain  at  Florence,  where  he  died. 


70  Life  of  Dean  A  If oni.  [Chap.  II. 

from  Cross  to  Cheddar,  and  up  the  cliffs^  very  magnificent, 
rising  immediately  above  the  road  on  each  side,  some  of 
them  between  three  and  four  hundred  feet  high,  and  covered 
with  clustering  ivy  and  yew.  Went  to  the  top,  and  had  a 
view  all  over  Sedgmoor,  Glastonbury,  and  Bridgwater,  the 
Quantock  Hills  as  far  as  Minehead.  Sketched  an  old  cross, 
then  set  off  for  Wooky-hole.  It  is  at  first  narrow  and  wind- 
ing, with  a  considerable  descent  by  natural  steps ;  then  an 
ascent,  which  leads  to  a  magnificent  opening  of  immense 
height  and  breadth,  where  the  rushing  of  the  water  is  heard 
underneath,  and  sounds  particularly  awful :  here  dwells  in 
her  tall  cathedral  cavern,  surrounded  by  all  her  fixed  imple- 
ments of  stone,  the  Witch  of  Wooky,  a  tall  figure  of  rock 
with  an  awful  spirit-like  aspect.    Then  we  went  on  to  Wells. 

''March  30. —  Reached  Heale  with  Tennant. 

"April  4. — Walter  returned  from  his  ordination  at  Wells. 
'The  Rev.'  How  curious  it  looks.  We  have  been  play- 
fellows, and  schoolfellows,  and  every  thing  together,  except 
at  college.  Well,  my  time  next.  May  God  grant  I  may  be 
as  well  prepared  and  fitted  for  the  ministry  as  this  dear 
friend  and  cousin  is.  Tennant  is  reading  some  of  Tenny- 
son's poems  to  them  here. 

"April  5. — Left  Heale  with  Tennant  for  Nether  Stowey, 
came  to  Taunton  in  my  uncle's  carriage,  and  walked  from 
thence  to  the  Bladown  Hills  by  Enmore  Castle,  a  very  large 
princely-looking  house  which  I  sketched. 

"April  6.— Porlock  at  one.  Started  off,  and  inquired  for 
Coleridge's  cottage  and  sketched  it,  and  talked  with  a  very 
old  man  who  remembered  the  rescue  of  some  labourers  who 
were  pressed  in  the  American  war. 

"  Another  day  we  walked  to  Culbone,  and  I  sketched ;  and 
to  the  Valley  of  Rocks,  the  oddest  heap  and  jumble  of  great 
and  little  rocks  of  all  shapes,  and  in  all  forms  of  combination 
whatever." 

From  Linton,  he  wrote  as  follows  to  his  friend  Mr.  J. 
Allen  :— 

"  Behold  Tennant  and  myself  in  Devonshire,  among  hills 
sky  high,  and  crags  and  roaring  streams  and  the  sea,  and 


1831]  Marriage  of  his  Father.  71 

inland  the  wildest  country  ever  devised  or  trampled  over ; 
hills  piled  on  hills,  covered  with  heath  and  fern;  no 
houses  or  trees,  except  here  and  there  a  luxuriant  valley  (or 
'  combe/  in  Devonshire  and  Somersetshire  language),  with 
its  ain  stream  bubbling  and  leaping  down  its  rocky  channel, 
and  canopied  with  budding  branches  of  elm  and  oak,  and 
bordered  with  myriads  of  primroses  and  wood  anemones.  We 
passed  yesterday  the  highest  hill  in  the  West  of  England, 
— I  forgot  I  was  speaking  to  a  Welshman  ;  however,  even 
you  must  acknowledge  it  is  respectable, — called  Dunkery 
Beacon. 

"  We  have  been  at  Heale  (my  uncle's)  for  nearly  a  week. 
We  go  back  there  on  Wednesday,  and  I  shall  start  from 
thence  on  Friday  night,  and  get  to  Cambridge  on  Saturday 
night.  I  shall  be  anxious  to  know  who  are  scholars  next 
week.  It  sounds  so  odd  to  talk  of  Cambridge  matters.  I 
had  almost  forgotten  there  was  such  a  place,  till  (an  actual 
fact)  a  woman,  an  old  gossip  of  mine  near  Heale,  congratu- 
lated me  on  having  extinguished  myself  lately,  only  think ! 
The  houses  about  here  are  full  of  rats,  and  the  hills  rabbits : 
that  puts  me  in  mind  I  saw  Burrows  in  town. 

"March  12. — Heale;  came  here  from  Ilminster  this  morn- 
ing ;  rose  at  half-past  five,  and  walked  here  :  of  course  they 
were  all  surprised  to  see  us. 

"  At  twelve  we  walked  to  the  hollow  tree ;  in  the  evening 
all  walked  to  Burton,  and  ascended  Burton  Pynsent.  I  took 
back  the  keys  to  the  old  house,  and  saw  some  of  the  old 
pictures ;  one  of  Sir  W.  Pynsent,  and  one  of  Charles  the 
Second,  I  should  think  by  Vandyke,  a  particularly  fine  one. 
Walked  in  front  of  the  house  at  Heale  ;  a  most  lovely  moon- 
light evening.  ^  New  moon  with  the  old  moon  in  her  arms,' 
and  various  signs  of  bad  weather.  This  evening  sketched 
the  old  house  at  Burton ;  at  night  in  my  old  room  at  the  top 
of  the  house  \" 


1  "  Looking  from  a  chamber  casement  high 
Over  paternal  groves,  beneath  the  moon 
Listlessly  pondering,  hear  the  village  clock 
Strike  in  the  noiseless  night." 

"  School  of  the  Heart,'"  Lesson  iv. 


72  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  II. 

After  his  return  to  Cambridge,  his  journal  states  : — 

"June  15. — Got  the  second  essay  prize;  Thompson  the 
first. 

"July  9. — Recited  my  essay,  and  got  fifteen  guineas,  and 
immediately  paid  my  bills  and  bought  books. ^' 

In  the  following  month,  August,  his  father  married  Miss 
Susan  Barber,  a  daughter  of  John  Barber,  Esq.,  a  lady  whose 
amiable  qualities  had  already  secured  the  affection  of  her 
stepson;  he  spent  his  long  vacation  at  Cambridge,  and 
from  thence  paid  more  than  one  visit  to  his  father  at 
Ampton.  The  following  letter  was  written  abont  this  time 
to  Lady  Millicent  Barber,  the  sister-in-law  of  Mrs.  Alford  : — 

"  I  have  been  spending  a  month  full  of  happiness  at 
Ampton,  and  happiness  which  went  to  my  heart.  I  dare 
say  you  can  feel  what  I  mean.  There  are  many  joys  and 
sorrows  which  skim  lightly  over,  and  leave  no  mark,  but 
some  that  leave  their  footprints  as  they  go.  I  have  never 
known  domestic  comfort  or  enjoyment  in  the  bosom  of  a 
family;  and  though  my  life  has  been  an  unbroken  series  of 
mercies,  and  I  have  every  body  to  thank  for  every  thing ;  yet 
I  have  always  felt  in  this  one  respect  lonely  and  dis- 
heartened. I  had  never  known  the  care  and  love  of  a 
mother.  You  may  therefore  conceive  the  change  to  me, 
I  cannot  describe  it;  and  certainly  the  thanks  which  I  owe 
for  it  are  beyond  all  measure.  It  has  been  in  my  case  a 
very  special  answer  to  prayer ;  and  God  has  done  it  all  so 
gently  and  tenderly  for  me,  like  a  kind  friend,  who,  in  pre- 
paring for  you,  has  anticipated  a  thousand  little  wishes 
which  you  would  have  thought  of  after  your  arrival.  If  you 
have  at  any  time  a  few  minutes  to  spare — the  conclusion  I 
leave  to  you.  I  long  to  know  of  the  welfare  of  your  harp. 
If  any  thing  happens  to  it,  '  The  harp  that  once  through 
Tara^s  halls  '  will  not  have  been  sung  in  vain ;  especially  in 
these  degenerate  days.  If  you  read  the  song,  or  recollect  it, 
you  will  see  my  allusion." 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  his  journal, 
beginning  with  his  twenty-first  birthday',  October  7, 
1831 :— 


1 831]  Prepares  for  Examination.  73 

"  I  have  this  day  completed  the  twenty-first  year  of  my 
age.  Gently^  indeed,  and  with  a  kind  hand  has  the  Author 
of  my  life  led  me  up  to  manhood,  moving  every  danger  from 
my  way  most  carefully,  and  preserving  me  safely  through 
those  to  which  He  saw  it  good  that  I  should  be  exposed.  0 
Lord !  make  me  thankful.  I  have  never  been  thankful  to 
Thee  as  I  ought.  As  a  child  I  was  wilful  and  stubborn  and 
undutiful;  as  a  youth,  petulant,  ungodly  in  heart,  and 
hasty.  And  now  what  shall  I  say  but  this  :  ''  Hold  Thou  up 
my  goings  in  Thy  path,  that  my  footsteps  slip  not.^  0  Lord, 
hear  me;  and  if  I  forget,  do  not  Thou.  Check  my  wanderings 
with  a  look  of  love  divine ;  in  the  snares  and  allurements  of 
the  world ;  in  the  evils  of  ungodly  society ;  in  the  perils  of 
close  mental  application,  good  Lord,  deliver  me.  In  my 
approaching  hour  of  trial,  in  all  my  studies,  in  all  my 
thoughts  and  words,  good  Lord,  deliver  me.  From  all 
bad  tempers  and  risings  of  pride,  good  Lord,  deliver  me. 
In  that  matter  wherein  I  am  now  especially  solicitous, 
good  Lord,  direct  me.  O  Thou  holy  and  most  adorable 
Redeemer,  who  didst  die  for  me,  and  didst  rise  again  for  my 
justification,  hear  and  answer;  and  may  not  these,  the  great 
ends  of  Thy  mighty  love  be  frustrated  in  Thy  servant. 
Amen. 

^^  Nov.  4. — Heard  of  the  riots  at  Bristol,  and  that  a  third 
part  of  Queen's  Square  and  the  Mansion  House,  &c.,  are  burnt. 
Heard  too  of  the  cholera  being  at  Sunderland ;  but  I  am 
not  alarmed.  "We  are  in  safe  keeping ;  and  I  hope  the  little 
words,  '  Thy  will  be  done  ! '  will  fence  me  against  a  thou- 
sand fears.  What  must  not  those  suffer  who  are  at 
sea  upon  the  wide  ocean  of  uncertainty,  without  a  star  to 
guide  them  ? 

''  Dec.  13. — Heard  they  have  established  a  family  news- 
paper at  Heale,  called  '  The  Family  Mirror,'  and  Tom  is  the 
editor.  October  term  seems  fated  to  be  a  cause  of  my  neglect- 
ing my  little  books.  Confound  these  conic  sections  !  I  cannot 
write  letters,  the  world  goes  hard  with  me.  Oh  these  body- 
destroying,  mind-destroying  mathematics  !  Next  Saturday 
three  weeks,  D.V.,  and  it  will  be  all  over. 


74  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  II. 

"  1832.  Jan.  1. — Anew  year,  a  new  pen,  but  no  new 
thouglits ;  the  old  ones  will  do  very  well  again,  even  these. 
May  all  I  love  be  preserved  through  this  year,  even  as 
through  last.  God  has  been  gracious  to  us,  and  will  be 
gracious  again. 

"  Next  Friday  week  the  degrees  begin.  I  shall  do  about  as 
well  as  I  expect,  not  better  I  think;  fori  cannot  get  through 

my  subjects,  I   think,    as complains,    so  fast  as  they 

get  through  me ;  however  I  shall  be  most  happy  when  it  is 
over.  It^s  all  these  plaguy  mathematics.  I  find  a  sort  of 
spell  on  me  that  won't  let  me  read  or  any  thing  else ;  how- 
ever, I  can't  complain,  for  I  am  not  anxious,  or  perplexed, 
or  melancholy.  .  .  .  Health  to  the  poets,  fine  fellows  :  I 
haven't  seen  much  of  them  lately.  My  ^  Divine  Poem  '  gets 
on  badly. 

"  Jan.  19. — (The  evening  before  the  Brackets.)  I  feel  very 
nervous,  more  so  than  I  ever  remember  to  have  felt  before. 
I  have  very  great  cause  to  be  thankful  for  having  been  so 
well  preserved  through  this  examination." 

The  next  extract  from  his  journal  records  the  most  im- 
portant events  in  the  career  of  an  undergraduate  : — 

"Jan.  21,  half-past  three  a.m. — Thirty-fourth  Wrangler. 
Heath,  Thompson,  Allen,  all  glorious;  nothing  could  be 
possibly  better.     Hurrah  !  " 

The  mathematical  examiners  were  Dr.  Hymers,  of  St. 
John's  College,  Dr.  Philpott  (afterwards  Bishop  of  Wor- 
cester), of  St.  Catherine's  Hall.  In  the  interval  between  the 
above  entry  and  the  next  he  paid  three  visits  to  his  father 
at  Ampton,  each  including  a  Sunday. 

On  25th  of  February,  he  writes,  "  To-morrow  the  classical 
tripos  comes  out.  To-day  I  have  spoken  to  Bridge  about 
my  volume  of  poems.     He  estimates  the  expense  at  121." 

His  place  was  eighth  in  the  first  class  of  the  classical 
tripos ;  the  examiners  were  Dr.  Kennedy  (afterwards  Head 
Master  of  Shrewsbury,  and  Eegius  Professor  of  Greek),  Dr. 
Tliirlwall  (afterwards  Bishop  of  St.  David's),  and  R.  W. 
Evans  (afterwards  Archdeacon  of  Westmoreland) . 

On  March  16,  he  writes  in  his  journal : — "  Medals    this 


1832]  Takes  Pupils.  75 

week ;  hard  work.  Must  begin  now  reading  right  away  for 
next  October  twelvemonth,  when  I  hope  to  make  a  push.  I 
will  now  mark  out  roughly,  a  course  of  reading,  which  I  hope 
to  pursue.'^ 

His  journal  about  this  time  tells  nothing  of  his  daily 
acts.  He  records  his  feelings  and  expectations  with  reference 
to  a  visit  to  Heale,  which  he  intended  to  pay  in  June. 
Pages  are  filled,  partly  with  rough  drafts  of  some  of  his  own 
poems,  and  partly  with  extracts  from  Drayton,  Browne, 
Drummond,  Daniel,  Crashaw,  and  Donne,  &c. 

He  writes  : — 

''  3Iay  6. — I  have  now  four  pupils,  and  I  am  attending 
Airy's  Lectures,  at  least  I  shall  begin  to-morrow ;  so  I  shall 
have  pretty  full  employment  this  term,  till  Friday  three 
weeks,  when  the  Trinity  examination  begins.^' 

On  June  1  he  went  in  company  with  his  friend  Mr.  Charles 
Merivale  to  Town,  and  on  June  4  he  went  from  thence  to 
Heale. 


CHAPTER    III. 
1832—1840. 


First  publishes  Poems — Pupils— Curacy  at  Ampton — Fellow 
OF  Trinity — Marriage — Becomes  Vicar  of  Wymeswold — 
Tour  to  Belgium,  Switzerland,  and  North  Italy — Edits 
Dearden's  Miscellany. 


THE  severe  toil  of  the  last  montlis  of  his  under- 
graduate career  was  followed  by  one  of  the  most 
joyous  periods  of  his  life. 

The  object  of  his  visit  to  Heale  was  to  make  a  proposal  of 
marriage  to  his  cousin,  Eanny  Alford.  Three  weeks  before 
his  arrival  he  considerately  wrote  a  letter  to  prepare  her  for 
this  step.  How  he  himself  regarded  it  is  shown  by  two 
extracts  from  his  journal.  He  thus  looks  forward  to  it  on 
the  eve  of  his  leaving  Cambridge  : — ■ 

"  Let  me  look  at  the  step  which  I  have  taken.  The  choice 
is  for  life.  Can  I  live  with  none  else  to  depend  on,  none 
else  to  trust  in,  none  else  to  love  ?  I  think,  with  God^s 
grace,  that  I  can.  Sixteen  years  of  attachment  have  done 
surely  their  part  to  rivet  my  heart  stronger  upon  hers ;  and 
though  I  know  my  faults  of  temper  and  of  want  of  forbear- 
ance, and  also  hers  in  some  points,  yet  I  hope  to  be  able,  if 
to  any  one  to  her  at  least,  to  be  loving  and  kind  always  and 
by  all  means." 

His  reflections  on  the  day  of  the  engagement,  dated 
June  5,  11  p.m.,  end  vnth  this  prayer : — 

"  0  Lord  God,  who  art  the  God  of  love,  and  the  guide  of 
all  Thy  servants,  look  upon  us  two,  who,  in  reliance  upon 
Thy  promise  and  Thine  answer  graciously  vouchsafed  to  our 
prayers,  have  this  day  pledged  ourselves  to  each  other.    May 


1832]  Prospect  of  Marriage.  77 

the  step  wliich  we  have  taken  be  in  accordance  with  Thy 
most  holy  will,  that  so  we  may  be  united  in  Thy  fear  and 
love  unfeigned  here  below,  and  may  be  partakers  of  the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb  in  heaven,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord  !     Amen," 

He  remained  at  Heale  from  June  5  to  July  17.  The 
details  of  every  day  in  this  season  of  pure  and  unalloyed 
enjoyment  are  recorded,  with  constant  thanksgiving  and 
prayer  to  the  Giver  of  all  good.  It  had  been  the  study  of 
the  parents  at  Heale  to  bring  up  the  family  with  a  living 
faith  in  God,  and  in  the  habit  of  acknowledging  Him  in  act 
and  word.  The  earnest  ministrations  of  the  Rev.  Henry 
Eoberts  in  the  parish  church  at  Curry  Rivell  were  such  as 
harmonized  with  the  religious  teaching  of  their  home,  and 
helped  to  form  their  characters.  Hence,  while  they  were 
encouraged  to  follow  their  common  occupations  with  ardour 
and  cheerfulness,  the  stamp  of  religion  was  set  upon  their 
acknowledged  motives  and  ordinary  conversation. 

In  their  summer  walks  amid  the  woods  and  terraces  of 
Burton,  and  the  heights  above  Sedgmoor,  the  betrothed 
cousins  framed  for  their  future  life  no  more  ambitious  scheme 
than  the  care  of  some  country  parish.  Together  they  learned 
to  open  their  hearts  unreservedly  of  and  to  one  another; 
they  read,  learned,  and  reasoned  on  Scripture  together,  and 
prayed  together ;  they  formed,  and  very  nearly  accomplished, 
in  those  six  weeks,  the  design  of  reading  together  the  first 
volume  of  Dobson^s  edition  of  Hooker^s  works,  his  first  five 
books  of  "  Ecclesiastical  Polity,"  and  his  sermon  on  "  The 
Certainty  and  Perpetuity  of  Faith  in  the  Elect."  Arch- 
deacon Evans^  charming  book,  ''  The  Rectory  of  Valehead," 
was  twice  read  through,  first  by  Henry  alone,  then  by  him  to 
his  future  wife  and  her  sisters.  The  good  archdeacon  had 
been  his  tutor  at  Cambridge,  and  exercised  great  influence 
on  his  mind  at  this  time\  His  volume  of  sermons  on  "The 
Church  of  God"  was  also  read  through,  and  one  ("  On  the 
State  of  a  Member  of  the  Church  of  God")  struck  Henry  as 


See  Sonnet  ix.,  dated  27tli  Mar,  1832,  in  "  Poems,"  page  159. 


78  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

"  indisputably  the  finest  sermon  he  had  ever  read,"  and  he 
wrote  out  a  copy  of  it  for  his  future  wife.  He  determined  to 
enable  her  to  read  the  New  Testament  in  Greek,  and  for  this 
purpose  began  a  Greek  Grammar,  in  the  form  of  a  series  of 
letters  to  her,  which  grew  to  the  extent  of  sixty  folio  pages. 
For  the  amusement  of  his  cousins  generally,  he  wrote  some 
small  pieces  entitled  "  Guesses  at  Truth,"  &c.,  and  gave  them 
as  his  contribution  to  the  "Family  Miri'or,"  a  periodical 
which  never  attained  the  dignity  of  appearing  in  print,  but 
was  circulated  in  manuscript  (see  page  73)  among  various 
young  members  of  the  Alford  family. 

A  design,  of  which  in  the  enthusiasm  of  those  days  he  was 
the  originator,  was  contemplated  for  forming  among  them- 
selves a  society  for  the  regulation  of  social  intercourse : 
among  its  objects  were  to  get  rid  of  all  frivolous  conversa- 
tion, and  to  give  mutual  aid  in  detecting  and  correcting 
faults.  At  intervals  during  this  time  he  was  reading  the 
life  of  William  III.  in  Tyndal's  "  History,"  and  his  atten- 
tion was  not  entirely  distracted  from  such  passing  events  of 
modern  history  as  those  to  which  he  refers  in  his  journal  on 
June  8 : — 

"  Heard  of  the  breaking  out  of  new  scenes  of  carnage 
and  massacre  in  unhappy  Paris.  What  will  become  of  that 
thankless  people  ?     God  seems  to  have  given  them  up." 

Some  lines  on  "The  Sign  of  the  Cross  in  Baptism" 
(suggested  by  Hooker's  "  E.  P.,"  v.  65)  were  wi'itten  at  this 
time  ("Poems,"  p.  310).  They  were  sung  four  years  after- 
wards in  Wymeswold  Church  as  a  hymn  when  his  first  child 
was  christened,  and  since  their  publication  they  have  come 
to  be  used  not  unfrequently  on  the  occasion  of  a  baptism. 

Before  the  six  weeks  were  ended  the  betrothed  pair  made 
an  arrangement  for  a  periodical  interchange  of  letters — a 
matter  of  consideration  in  those  days  of  costly  postage ;  and 
on  this  subject  his  journal  contains  the  following  prayer  : — 

"  0  Lord,  we  beseech  Thee  to  grant  that  whatever  cor- 
respondence Thou  mayest  permit  us  to  have  with  each 
other  may  tend  to  mutual  edification  and  comfort.  May  we 
stimulate  each  other  in  the  things  belonging  to   our  ever- 


1832]  Reading  at  For  lock.  79 

lasting  peace;  may  our  letters  be  means,  under  Thee,  of 
acquainting  us  more  and  more  with  each  other  and  with 
Thee,  and  fit  us  for  living  together  here  on  earth,  and  here- 
after in  glory,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake/' 

When  these  bright  days  came  to  a  close  on  July  1 7,  he 
looks  back  on  them  with  the  following  reflections  : — 

''  Oh,  how  many  and  how  great  have  been  the  mercies  of 
God  to  me  during  this  my  visit  at  Heale  !  First  and  foremost, 
that  ever-memorable  evening,  June  5,  and  then  all  our  sweet 
walks  and  talks  since,  many  of  them  very  profitable,  and 
lasting  monuments  of  His  mercy,  and  all  the  admonitions  on 
tender  points.  Oh,  may  all  these  not  be  without  their  due 
effect  of  drawing  me  nearer  to  Him  !  Oh,  Lord,  may  it  be  so 
for  Jesus  Christ's  sake  !     Amen." 

The  remainder  of  this  Long  Vacation  (which  lasted  till 
Oct.  15)  was  spent  by  Henry  Alford  chiefly  near  Porlock,  on 
the  north  coast  of  Somersetshire,  whither  he  went  accom- 
panied by  a  cousin,  Mr,  T.  Paget,  of  about  his  own  age, 
and  there  pursued  his  reading  with  a  view  to  a  fellowship. 
They  left  Heale  together  on  July  17;  slept  at  Dunster;  the 
next  morning  walked  to  Porlock,  and  hired  lodgings  for  a 
guinea  a  week  at  Worthy  Farm,  just  below  Lord  King's 
house,  near  Culbone.  At  this  place  he  read  Plato's  'Ee- 
public,'  the  '  Agricola '  of  Tacitus,  Niebuhr,  vol.  i,,  various 
articles  in  the  '  Philological  Museum,'  some  of  Peacock's 
'Algebra,'  Whewell's  first  three  sections  of  Newton, 
Young's  'Differential  Calculus,'  some  of  Woodhouse's  'As- 
tronomy,' besides  three  volumes  of  Gibbon,  and  some  mis- 
cellaneous reading.  The  following  extracts  are  taken  from 
his  journal : — 

'^ Aiuj.  1. — Merivale  is  with  us;  walked  with  him  to  a 
great  mountain  east  of  Porlock  Bay.  Very  grand  rocks, 
and  a  cavern  leading  to  the  Minehead  side ;  much  grander 
than  Black-gang  Chine;  no  comparison.  Ascended  the 
mountain.  Grand  view  over  the  Vale  of  Porlock  and  Dun- 
kery  Beacon. 

^'  Aug.  4. — Now  I  do  resolve,  once  for  all,  to  get  up 
when  I   am    called  every  morning,    for  I  have    got    lazy 


8o  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

lately;  God  will  give  me  strength  to  do  it^  for  it  is  not 
a  trifle.-' '  ^ 

"Sunday,  Aug.  5. — Rose  at  six^  conformably  to  tlie  above 
resolution ;  thanks  be  to  God  for  enabling  me  to  keep  it.  Had 
some  very  sweet  moments  of  prayer  this  morning.  Learnt 
John  xvii.  Went  to  Selworthy  Church;  very  beautiful 
among  the  mountains ;  fine  churchy  but  such  a  sermon !  Sir 
T.  Acland  there.     They  rung  him  in  and  rung  him  out. 

''Aug.  6. — Walked  with  Paget  to  the  top  of  Dunkery  Bea- 
con ;  saw  a  most  magnificent  view^  the  finest  I  ever  saw. 
I  have  drawn  a  panorama  of  it^  so  need  not  describe  it;  saw 
about  thirty  miles  all  round,  forty  or  fifty  in  some  directions. 

"Aug.  14. — Finished  my  map  of  Italy.  Bead  Niebuhr. 
Really  he  is  one  of  the  greatest  men  that  have  been  in  this 
ignorant  and  obstinate  world.  Finished  the  fourth  book  of 
the  'Republic.'' 

"Sketched  this  house  (i.  e.  Worthy  Farm).  Walked  with 
Paget  to  CulbonCj  along  by  the  sea,  and  all  manner  of  perilous 
places,  to  Glenthorn.  Sent  Fanny  some  things  for  the 
'  Family  Mirror/  and  three  more  sheets  of  Greek  Grammar. 

"  Sej)t.-4<. — With  Walter  (who  is  here  for  a  day  or  two) 
and  Paget  to  Linton,  by  Culbone-wood,  and  down  to  the 
beach  at  Glenthorn;  had  to  walk  through  no  small  quantity 
of  the  Atlantic  on  account  of  the  tide.  Went  to  the  Valley 
of  Rocks,  and  after  dinner  up  to  Lyn  Cleave  to  Waters' 
Meet.  I  don't  know  that  I  ever  saw  any  thing  so  beautiful 
and  grand.     Returned  by  moonlight. 

"Se2)t.  10.— Went  with  Paget  to  Worthy  Dell.  The 
stream,  owing  to  the  storm,  very  full  and  sonorous ;  grown 
into  no  end  of  a  cascade.  Reading  lots  of  Plato  in  the 
evening.  Sir  T.  Acland  called,  and  asked  us  to  dine  there. 
Very  pleasant  evening.  Met  his  eldest  son,  who  is  an 
Oxford  Apostle,  and  a  very  nice  religious  person.  He  knew 
well  many  of  my  friends,  and  we  had  many  common  topics 
both  literary  and  religious.'" 

Many  of  his  Sonnets,  e.  g.  xviii. — xxi.,  "  Poems,"  p.  164, 
several  Lyrical  Pieces,  pp.  216 — 229,  and  various  passages  in 
the  "  School  of  the  Heart,"  were  written  at  this  time. 


1832]  Reading  at  P or  lock.  81 

The  following  letter  was  written  from  Worthy  Farm  : — 
To  Fanny  Alford. 

"  September. 

"  Cut  this  as  a  book  before  you  read  it,  and  tell  me  if  they 
charge  double  ^. 

"  I  pray  Grod  He  will  make  us  means  of  much  usefulness 
to  each  other,  and  that  we  may  make  the  interval  which 
shall  elapse  before  our  union  a  time  of  preparation,  solemn 
and  earnest  preparation  for  the  duties  of  it,  and  every  other 
situation  to  which  it  shall  please  Him  to  call  us. 

"  I  will  not  look  higher  than  a  curacy  in  the  country.  I 
have  no  idea  of  being  ambitious,  but  perhaps  this  feeling  is 
wrong,  and  I  ought  to  accommodate  myself  to  that  sphere, 
whatever  it  may  be,  to  which  God  has  seen  right  to  call  me. 

"  You  ask  me  how  I  get  on  with  the  poor  at  Culbone.  A 
man  and  his  wife  and  three  children  live  in  a  little  hole  not 
above  twelve  feet  square,  but  they  are  nice  sober  people,  and  I 
lend  them  books.  An  old  woman  here  keeps  a  school  and  has 
a  wonderful  knowledge  of  Scripture.  I  am  writing  her  out,  in 
imitation  of  printing  (for  she  cannot  read  writing),  some 
hymns  and  prayers  for  her  little  school.  The  clergyman, 
poor  man,  is  dying  of  consumption.  He  gives  Bibles  and 
Prayer  Books  to  the  people,  and  is  thankful  for  any  atten- 
tion to  them.  I  have  sent  you  more  sheets  of  the  Greek 
Grammar,  containing  the  formation  and  declension  of  the 
tenses,  also  three  articles  for  the  '  Family  Mirror '  at  Heale. 

"  How  can  we  be  thankful  enough  !  in  that  blessed  state 
where  we  shall  rest  ever  in  His  bosom,  with  all  our  hope 
turned  into  joy,  all  our  jewels  brightly  polished,  we  shall 
have  nobler  and  better  engines  of  praise  than  we  have  here ; 
our  minds  will  then  see  into  the  depths  of  all  His  gracious 
dealings;  our  eyes  will  be  dazzled  with  no  false  light,  dimmed 
with  no  tears,  and  our  tongues  will  be  set  free,  to  sound  for 
ever  and  ever  pure  genuine  praise,  unmixed  with  display, 
excitement  or  enthusiasm,  our  feelings  and  motives  all 
justly  balanced,   all  rightly  in    subjection,  a    lasting    quiet 

2  A  sheet  of  any  size  might  be  used  in  those  days  of  heavy  postage,  pro- 
vided  it  was  entire. 


82  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  III. 

joy ;  for  nothing  can  be  lasting  that  is  not  quiet.  The 
branch  of  improvement  in  which  you  most  need  cultiva- 
tion is  that,  which  by  leading  us  to  compare  our  opinions 
and  information  with  those  of  others,  enlarges  our  minds, 
and  makes  us  take  a  more  comprehensive  view  of  subjects. 
Don^t  misunderstand  me.  What  affection  has  dictated, 
affection  will  interpret  aright. 

'^  I  am  reading  Gibbon's  History  of  the  '  Decline  and  Fall 
of  the  Roman  Empire,'  not  from  choice,  for  he  is  a  very 
anti- Christian  wi'iter,  and  besides  a  very  affected  and  dis- 
gusting one ;  but  because  it  is  a  book  that  every  one  has  read, 
and  the  portion  of  history  of  which  it  treats,  always  has 
been  in  my  mind  a  perfect  blank. 

^^  In  a  few  days  I  shall  be  twenty-two.  I  wish  it  were 
twenty-three,  for  I  do  so  want  to  begin  my  ministerial  course." 

Soon  after  the  above  letter  was  written,  his  sojourn  at 
Porlock  was  abruptly  ended.  On  Sept.  11,  he  received  a 
letter  from  Cambridge,  which  led  him  to  resolve  to  become 
a  candidate  for  the  fourth  classical  mastership  of  Christ's 
Hospital.  He  immediately  visited  Heale,  Cambridge,  and 
Ampton,  met  with  encouragement  from  his  friends  and 
family  to  proceed,  and  procured  testimonials ;  but  soon  after 
arriving  in  London  he  found  that  the  circumstance  of 
his  not  having  been  educated  at  Christ's  Hospital  would 
effectually  prevent  his  being  elected;  and  thereupon,  he 
withdrew  his  name  from  the  list  of  candidates,  and  returned 
to  his  father's  house  at  Ampton. 

Here  a  letter  reached  him  from  his  friend  Mr.  Tennant, 
concerning  a  recent  election  of  four  Fellows  of  Trinity; 
'^  which,"  he  says,  "  fixes  all  my  hopes  more  than  ever  on  this 
time  two  years,  for  which  I  must  work." 

On  his  return  to  Cambridge  in  October,  he  occupied  him- 
self chiefly  in  the  care  of  seven  pupils,  among  whom  was  his 
friend  E.  Bickersteth,  and  also  in  reading  metaphysics,  divi- 
nity, and  Hebrew.  He  "  had  some  thoughts  "  (which  were 
soon  afterwards  realized)  of  making  a  poem  of  the  Muchelney 
Abbey  Legend,  and  the  first  germ  of  the  "School  of  the  Heart" 
appears  in  the  following  entry  in  his  journal : — "  I  have  been 


1832]  PttblisJies  Poems.  ^2) 

thinking  of  my  poem  lately,  and  a  plan  is,  I  tliink,  now  gra- 
dually rising  up  in  my  mind.  The  progress  and  life  of  a  soul 
to  be  the  subject-matter.  The  title  I  cannot  fix  on,  but 
there  is  time  yet.  Endeavour  to  get  it  in  a  train  of  publica- 
tion by  Midsummer,  1834,  D.V." 

Some  of  his  poems  were  placed  about  this  time  in  the 
hands  of  Messrs.  Deighton,  of  Cambridge,  and  were  pub- 
lished in  the  following  February  with  the  title  of  Poems 
and  Poetical  Fragments,  but  without  his  name.  The  volume 
contained  only  ninety-seven  pages ;  and  it  included  six 
poems  which  he  did  not  print  in  later  editions. 

His  work  at  this  time  was  too  severe  for  his  health,  as 
appears  from  the  following  letter  : — 

To  Mr.  J.  Allen. 

"  Trinity  College,  Nov.  28. 

"■  I  had  begun  a  letter  to  you  as  soon  as  I  knew  your 
direction,  but  other  letters  and  seven  pupils  have  caused 
it  to  be  unfinished  till  now.  I  am  not  very  well,  having 
a  cough,  and  rather  an  unpleasant  fulness  in  my  head ; 
however,  there  is  not  much  of  this  term  left,  and  I  must 
be  wiser  next  term.  Have  you  seen  Hallam's  pamphlet 
about  the  '  Spirito  Antipapale  '  of  Eosetti  ?  If  not,  see  it 
quam  iwhnwm.  Also  if  you  have  any  means  of  seeing  the 
'  Foreign  Quarterly,'  read  an  article  on  the  '  German  Origin 
of  the  Latin  language,'  by  Kemble  (who  is  here),  and  one 
on  an  Italian  translation  of  Milton,  by  Hallam." 

About  the  end  of  this  term  he  wrote  : — 

To  Fanny  Alford. 

"  Trinity  College,  Bee.  21. 
"  I  do  not  pretend  to  deny  that  my  seven  pupils  are  too 
much  for  me,  i.  e.  considering  how  much  I  ought  to  be 
reading  on  my  own  account,  but  as  to  writing  less  fre- 
quently to  you,  I  cannot  think  of  it ;  for  it  is  no  hindrance 
to  me,  but  rather  a  furtherance.  We  two  have  much  to 
rejoice  over  at  the  end  of  this  year.  0  may  it  all  be 
blessed  to  our  eternal  good,  may  the  union  between  us 
G  2 


84  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  III. 

this  year  beguu^  be  ripened  into  a  deep^  lioly^  and  ever- 
lasting one,  independent  of  sorrow  and  death. 

"  You  say  even  now  nature  has  some  beauties  to  admire. 
Indeed  she  has,  there  is  to  me  something  very  fine  in  the 
look  of  the  rows  of  bare  trees,  tossed  about  by  the  winds, 
and  the  rooks  sailing  about  and  cawing  wildly,  and  also  in 
the  deep  green  moss  that  grows  now  on  the  banks,  and 
the  full  swelling  rivers.  One  thing  strikes  me  particularly 
in  winter,  every  thing  seems  dead  and  stagnant,  but  all 
this  time  the  earth  is  being  prepared  by  rains  and  frost  and 
snow  to  do  its  work  in  the  spring ;  the  buds  are  being  filled 
with  the  young  plants,  the  wool  is  thickening  on  the  sheep, 
the  birth  of  the  young  lambs  is  coming  on  and  in  a  thousand 
other  ways  progress  is  taking  place ;  is  it  not  very  often  so 
in  the  spiritual  nature,  does  not  God  often  work  in  the  souls 
both  of  others  and  ourselves,  and  we  know  it  not  ? 

"  Entre  nous,  I  am  fully  and  over  employed  seven  hours 
a  day,  entirely  occupied  by  pupils  besides  reading  for  my 
fellowship.  I  generally  get  up  between  half-past  five  and 
six,  and  light  my  fire  and  read  till  eight.  In  the  evening  I 
read  principally  Hebrew  or  divinity  ;  I  am  reading  Hebrew 
with  a  view  to  understand  thoroughly  and  critically  and  dog- 
matically the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  by  Evans's  advice.'' 

The  following  reflections  on  the  close  of  the  year  were 
written  at  Amp  ton  in  his  journal. 

"Bee.  31. — Thus  ends  another  year,  and  by  far  the  most 
eventful  one  of  my  life :  full  it  has  been  both  of  events  and 
interests,  but  of  neither  fuller  than  of  mercies  ;  it  began  with 
my  degree,  which  so  far  surpassed  my  wishes  in  every 
respect.  .  .  . 

"  These  dying  moments  of  the  old  year  bring  me  into  a 
strange  mood,  something  which  I  cannot  express.  If  I  live 
another  year,  I  shall  most  likely  have  entered  on  the  work 
of  my  life,  even  the  service  of  Christ.  Oh,  what  pure  and 
holy  pleasure  I  anticipate  in  that  work :  may  I  have  spirit  to 
resolve,  and  strength  to  perform ....  The  old  year  is  just 
dying,  there  is  a  strange  feel  in  the  air,  the  snow  is  lying- 
scattered  thinly  here  and  there,  and  the  swept  gravel  walks 


1833]  Publishes  Poems.  85 

look  brown  like  long'worms.  There  is  but  one  cloud  in  the 
sky,  the  shroud  of  the  old  year." 

In  the  short  vacation  which  was  spent  at  Ampton,  he 
chides  himself  for  reading  little  or  no  Hebrew,  but  writing- 
letters,  poetry,  &c.,  all  the  week.  His  *^  Hymn  to  the  Sun"  was 
finished  January  5.  He  returned  to  Cambridge  in  January  25, 
and  records  that  he  then  learnt  to  skate.  He  now  became 
an  author.  A  copy  of  his  ^'  Poems  and  Poetical  Fragments  " 
was  sent  to  his  tutor,  the  author  of  "  The  Rectory  of  Vale- 
head,"  to  whom  a  sonnet  ["Poems,"  p.  159]  is  inscribed. 
Mr.  Evans'  letter  of  acknowledgment,  which  is  subjoined, 
gave  peculiar  pleasure  to  his  pupil. 

"  I  return  you  many  thanks  for  the  present  of  your  volume, 
a  considerable  portion  of  which  I  have  gone  through  already 
with  much  pleasure,  and  profit  too,  I  hope.  Among  the  sterling 
qualities  it  possesses  that  of  great  purity  of  taste,  no  common 
thing  in  these  days.  With  regard  to  the  feelings  in  it,  which 
may  make  it  in  a  manner  belong  to  me  of  right,  I  assure 
you  that  I  consider  the  property  of  great  value,  and  am  not 
a  little  proud  of  such  a  claim.  I  trust  that  your  work  is  the 
first-fruits  of  an  abundant  harvest." 

Journal.  «  Trinity  College. 

"  1833.  Feh.  2. — My  book  is  out :  may  God  bless  it  to  my 
good,  and  that  of  others  :  had  a  delightful  note  from  Evans 
about  it,  speaking  of  it  far  better  than  it  deserves. 

"1  am  sending  an  article^  on  'Music'  to  Thirlwall, 
[Bishop  of  St.  David's]  for  the  '  Philological.'  He  talked 
about  it  most  quaintly. 

"  To  the  health  of  my  intellectual  and  spiritual  faculties, 
that  of  my  body  is  very  necessary,  and  though  it  has  pleased 
God  to  bless  me  with  unbroken  health  all  through  my  life 
hitherto,  yet  there  is  a  certain  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  absolute 
command  of  the  mind's  faculties,  which  is  best  preserved  by 
early  rising,  strong  and  regular  exercise,  moderation  and 
regularity  in  diet,  and  hardihood  of  habit  respecting  cloth- 
ing, &c.     I  thank  God  sometimes  that  He  has  made  me  of  a 

3  Published  in  the  "  Philological  Museum,"  vol.  ii. 


86  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  III. 

quick  and  lively  temperament,  because  I  tliink  I  have  more 
tangible  occasion  for  self-government,  but  still  there  is 
nothing  I  practise  so  little.  I  have  bought  Digby^s  '  Mores 
Catholici/  which  is  very  delightful :  also  Thomas  a  Kempis. 
The  service  of  Christ  is  sweet;  the  only  calm,  the  only 
blessedness  is  in  holiness  ;  what  do  we  not  owe  for  the  in- 
estimable gift  of  the  religion  of  the  heart  ? 

^'Vigilandum  est  et  orandum,  ne  tempus  otiose  transeat. 
[Thomas  a  Kempis,  I.  ch.  10.] 

"  0  may  I  more  and  more  feel  that  indolence  is  poison 
both  to  my  intellectual  and  spiritual  nature.  Another  poison 
is  pride  and  self-adulation. 

"  I  have  been  of  late  and  particularly  this  morning, 
sketching  in  my  mind  the  plan  of  a  long  poem  which  may  be 
a  bye-work  of  some  years  of  labour  or  rest,  bustle  or  seclu- 
sion, and  as  some  have  set  apart  a  work  for  their  old  age,  so 
do  I  this  for  my  youth,  thinking  it  one  of  the  ways  in  which 
God  has  qualified  me  to  instruct  and  benefit  (if  it  may  be) 
my  generation.  As  far  as  my  choice  has  yet  proceeded,  I 
mean  the  tendency  of  it  to  be,  to  recall  those  feelings  of 
yielded  obedience  and  ready  faith  which  it  seems  to  me  our 
age  hath  too  much  cast  behind  it.  And  to  this  intent  has  my 
*  Marian"* '  already  published  been  written,  but  not  directly. 
As  to  the  vehicle  in  which  it  shall  enter  the  minds  of  men, 
I  have  rather  of  late  inclined  to  allegory  \  not  that  of  more 
modern  times,  but  a  mode  of  that  of  our  sweet  Spenser,  and 
the  great  and  holy  Dante.  Something  approaching  to  the 
history  of  a  blessed  soul,  including  the  various  stages  of  its 
progress,  and  its  nourishment  and  refreshment  by  the  way. 
And  as  for  the  manner  of  it,  whether  it  shall  be  a  self-related 
history,  or  a  dream  or  vision,  &c.,  I  have  not  determined, 
but  I  at  present  prefer  the  former.  And  may  He  who  is  the 
fountain  of  all  intellectual  knowledge  and  all  perfect  beauty, 
even  the  Redeemer  of  the  mind  and  soul  of  man,  direct  and 
assist  me ;  and  may  the  work  begun  under  His  blessing,  be 


*  This  was  published  in  the  first  edition  of  his  Poems  as  a  separate  poem, 
but  subsequently  it  appeared  as  the  First  Lesson  in  the  "  School  of  the 
Heart." 


1833]  Returns  to  Cambridge.  Z'] 

finished  by  His  assistance  and  be  of  service  to  the  end 
intended. 

"  Truly  no  time  is  to  be  lost.  I  do  so  wish  I  could  habi- 
tually make  a  conscience  of  redeeming  every  moment.  One 
of  the  groat  delinquencies  of  men  here  is  waste  of  time.^^ 

In  Marchj  his  uncle  and  aunt  from  Heale,  and  his  cousins 
Fanny  and  Mary,  came  to  Ampton.  He  spent  his  Easter 
vacation  there.  Sonnets  x.  and  xi.,  "Poems,"  p.  160,  were 
written  now,  also  the  piece  in  blank  verse,  entitled  "Ampton, 
1833,"  "Poems,"  p.  130,  and  four  lyrical  pieces,  "Amor 
Mundanus,"  and  "  Ccelestis,"  "  The  Little  Mourner,"  and 
"  Ampton,"  pp.  229—236. 

His  future  vocation  was  not  absent  from  his  thoughts. 
He  records : — 

"  Reading  aloud  during  our  walks  Isaac  Walton's  '  Life  of 
Herbert.'  I  am  determined  by  God's  grace  to  be  a  follower 
of  him,  as  he  was  of  Christ."  And  in  the  same  week,  "  I  have 
been  reading  a  review  of  the  life  of  Felix  Neff :  many  points 
to  be  imitated  in  it,  particularly  his  entire  devotedness  to  his 
work.     0  Lord,  grant  me  the  like." 

After  Easter  he  returns  to  Cambridge  on  April  19,  and 
during  a  long  walk  after  chapel  "  heard  the  first  nightingale 
of  the  season  sing  most  lustily  in  the  brake  in  the  Coton-road 
Lane."  He  records  as  books  to  be  perused  Bingham's 
"  Origines  Ecclesiasticge,"  and  Burnet  "  On  the  Articles." 
He  proposes  to  read  for  the  Divinity  Scholarship  in  the  long 
vacation  Mosheim  and  Jennings;  and  in  term  time,  be- 
tween five  and  seven  every  morning,  the  historical  parts  of 
the  Old  Testament  in  Hebrew  with  "  Critici  Sacri;"  also  for 
the  Fellowship,  Plato's  "  Philebus"  and  Locke  in  term  time, 
and  Brown  and  Reid  and  mathematical  subjects  in  the  long 
vacation;  and  he  looks  forward  to  reading  afterwards,  with 
a  view  to  his  ordination,  Grotius,  Sumner's  "  Evidences," 
Burnet  "  On  the  Articles,"  and  the  "  Pastoral  Care." 

In  May  10  he  writes  to  his  cousin  Fanny : — 

"  I  am  in  high  order  this  beautiful  weather,  enjoying  it  as 
much  as  mortal  can  enjoy  any  thing  of  its  kind.  Till  two  I 
am  closeted,  if  you  can  call  it  closeted  (sitting  at  a  window 


88  Life  of  Dean  Alforcl,  [Chap.  III. 

whicli  opens  thus  [tlien  a  sketch],  with  clematis  and  gera- 
niums and  your  periwinkles  outside),  with  pupils. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  are  coming  here  with  my  father  and 
Mary  to  see  me.  Who  would  have  dreamt  of  seeing  you  at 
Cambridge  ?  You  will  be  pleased ;  you  must  not,  however, 
expect  too  much,  though  I  don't  think  you.  can  well  be  dis- 
appointed. This  place  is  looking  so  very  beautiful,  our  trees 
are  such  noble  fellows  here,  and  our  meadows  so  rich  and 
luxuriant." 

[Here  follows  a  narrative  of  a  meeting  with  an  enthusiastic 
kinsman  who  had  recently  joined  the  followers  of  Edward 
Irving,  and  who  earnestly  endeavoured  to  induce  him  to 
quit  the  Church  and  follow  the  guidance  of  the  "  unknown 
tongues.''^] 

"  Let  our  motto  be,  '  Walk  humbly  with  thy  God.'  It 
seems  to  me  that  five  minutes  of  real  thankfulness  for  the  love 
of  our  dear  Saviour  is  worth  a  year  of  hard  reasoning  on  the 
hidden  parts  of  our  redemption.  We  have  not  fallen  upon 
days  of  meekness :  these  are  times  of  spiritual  and  carnal 
pride.  Let  us  ever  remember  that  while  we  give  only  our 
private  hours  to  God,  and  banish  Him  from  our  social  ones,  we 
cannot  expect  that  our  social  intercourse  will  be  blessed  by 
Him,  or  our  social  wants  fulfilled.  I  know  you  will  agree 
with  me  in  pi^aying  for  the  joyful  consummation  anticipated 
in  the  last  six  lines  in  page  81  of  my  little  book  ^ — 

"  We  must  pray  for  one  another ;  then  we  shall  be  able  to 
advise  one  another.  Let  the  love  of  Christ  hallow  every 
word  we  speak  to  each  other,  whether  of  common  talk,  of 
afiectionate  advice,  or  of  spiritual  intercourse.  Eemember 
the  world  is  near,  and  heaven  is  far  off.  But  I  am  advising 
myself  more  than  you;  at  least,  I  ought  to  be;  but  we 
should  exhort  and  edify  one  another  thus,  for  God  does 
many  things  by  weak  vessels.'' 

5  "  0  glorious  time  !  then  may  we  wake  at  length, 
After  life's  tempest,  under  a  clear  sky, 
And  count  our  band,  and  find  with  keenest  joy 
None  wanting  ; — love  preserred  in  all  its  strength  ; 
And,  with  fresh  beauty,  hand  in  hand  arise, 
A  link  in  the  bright  chain  of  ransom'd  families." 

"  Poems,"  page  171,  Sonnet  xxxi. 


1833]  -^i  P or  lock.  89 

His  father  and  two  cousins,  on  May  22,  came  to  see  him 
at  Cambridge,  and  returned  on  the  following  day.  Some  lines 
in  the  "  School  of  the  Heart/'  Lesson  iii.,  describe  his  solitary 
walk  back  over  Newmarket  Heath  to  Cambridge,  after  ac- 
companying them  out  to  Kentford. 

"  As  one  in  Summer-tide  pacing  a  weary  road." 

He  left  Cambridge  for  the  long  vacation  on  May  28, 
spent  a  few  days  at  Ampton  with  his  father,  mother,  and 
two  cousins,  and  on  June  3  the  whole  party  set  off  for  Heale, 
spending  a  night  in  London  by  the  way.  From  Heale  he 
went,  on  July  4,  with  his  friend,  and  now  pupil,  E.  Bickersteth 
(as  he  had  done  the  previous  long  vacation  with  his  cousin, 
T.  Paget),  to  read  at  the  north  coast  of  Somersetshire. 

A  letter  written  in  1871  to  myself  by  his  companion  at 
Porlock  (afterwards  Archdeacon  Bickersteth,  of  Buckingham- 
shire) refers  chiefly  to  this  vacation,  and  may  be  most  fitly 
inserted  here : — 

"  I  have  been  looking,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  in  vain  for  such 
notes  and  reminiscences  as  you  have  asked  of  the  time  when 
I  was  in  daily  intercourse  with  the  departed  one.  Changes 
of  residence  and  lapse  of  time  have  obliterated  these  tangible 
memorials,  though  the  heart's  remembrance  of  those  early 
days  is  still  as  fresh  and  as  present  as  ever.  My  most  familiar 
intercourse  with  the  Dean  was  some  forty  years  ago,  at  the 
time  when  he  was  preparing  for  Cambridge,  as  a  pupil  with 
my  father  at  Actoa.  Our  companionship  then  was  of  the 
most  intimate  kind,  and  we  were  as  much  together  as  it 
was  possible  for  two  persons  to  be.  It  was  impossible  not 
to  be  drawn  very  closely  to  one  with  so  much  thought  and 
feeling  and  intellect,  and  I  remember  that  it  was  a  great 
sorrow  to  me  when  he  left  for  Cambridge.  When  I  followed 
him  to  Cambridge  four  years  afterwards,  he  became  my 
private  tutor,  and  our  personal  intercourse  was  then  renewed. 
In  the  long  vacation  of  1833  I  read  with  him  in  Somerset- 
shire, and  I  well  recollect  the  interest  of  the  occasional  visits 
to  Heale  House.  We  took  lodgings  first  at  a  house  called 
Worthy  Farm,  close  to  the  seaside  and  near  Porlock,  and 


90  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

afterwards  we  moved  to  Over  Stowey.  From  these  places 
we  used  to  make  frequent  rambles  over  some  of  the  most 
picturesque  parts  of  Somersetshire ;  while  Over  Stowey,  with 
its  associations  with  Coleridge  and  Southey,  was  very  con- 
genial with  the  tastes  of  Henry  Alford.  It  was  about  this 
time  that  he  wrote  some  of  those  beautiful  little  sonnets  and 
minor  pieces  in  the  '  School  of  the  Heart.'  I  have  often 
been  with  him,  when  in  a  fit  of  abstraction  he  was  com- 
posing some  of  these  verses,  which  will  always  remain  for  the 
delight  and  instruction  of  multitudes." 

Worthy  Farm,  near  Porlock,  his  lodging  in  the  previous 
year,  afforded  him  accommodation  for  the  first  three  weeks 
of  this  vacation;  he  afterwards  removed  to  a  cottage  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Anstice,  of  Bridge  water.  He  formed  strong 
resolutions  for  self-discipline  : — 

"  I  find  I  have  several  thiugs  to  guard  against,  among 
which  are, —  sharpness  of  word  or  look  upon  slight  occasions, 
and  exaggeration  of  all  kinds.  May  God  give  me  grace 
to  do  so !  I  purpose  giving  my  time  before  breakfast  to 
theology,  the  fore  part  of  the  morning  to  mathematics,  the 
latter  to  metaphysics,  and  what  classics  I  do  read  in  the 
evening.  I  have  of  late  been  given  to  be  in  bed  much 
later  in  the  morning  than  my  philosophy  or  conscience  can 
approve.  I  hereby  make  and  record  a  solemn  resolution 
(which  may  God  give  me  grace  to  keep  !)  to  rise,  if  I  wake, 
never  later  than  six.'' 

An  unforeseen  occurrence  at  this  time  hastened  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  intention  to  enter  into  holy  orders.  His  father 
was  pressed  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Spencer,  rector  and  patron 
of  Winkfield,  to  accept  that  rectory.  Mr.  Alford  accepted  it ; 
but,  feeling  convinced  that  he  should  not  long  continue  to 
keep  it®,  determined  not  to  resign  Ampton,  and  therefore 
proposed  to  his  son  to  take  the  curacy  of  Ampton  as  his  title 
for  orders,  and  to  reside  there.  Henry's  comment  on  this 
in  his  journal,  July  18,  is — 


8  The  circumstances  are  stated  in  the  "  Memorial  of  the  Rev.  II.  Alford," 
page  116. 


1833]  Is  Ordained  at  Exeter.  91 

"  Ao|a  Tft)  ©6ft).  How  graciously  has  every  thing  been 
managed_,  that  we  should  settle  once  more  in  our  dear  old 
nest!^' 

During  the  months  of  August  and  September  his  journal 
records  various  walking  excursions  to  Bridgewater,  Bristol, 
the  Mendip  country,  and  Bath,  in  company  partly  with  E. 
Bickersteth,  partly  with  C.  Merivale. 

On  October  2  he  went  to  Norwich  to  be  examined  as  a 
candidate  for  the  order  of  deacon.  He  records  that  Mr. 
Drake,  the  chaplain,  whose  examination  he  passed,  was  very 
civil  to  him.  But  it  happened  inconveniently  for  him  that 
the  ordination  was  fixed  for  October  5,  when  his  twenty- 
third  birthday  being  October  7,  he  wanted  two  days  of  the 
requisite  age.  He,  therefore,  returned  on  October  4  to 
Ampton,  and  then  received  letters  dimissory  from  the 
Bishop  of  Norwich  to  the  Bishop  of  Exeter. 

His  journal  states  on  Saturday,  October  26  :  ''  At  10  a.m. 
I  went  to  the  Cathedral  (Exeter)  ;  a  very  fine  interior  and 
venerable  exterior,  with  those  two  grand  old  towers,  which 
I  shall  never  (for  many  reasons  now)  forget.  Very  beautiful 
chant  in  the  morning  at  twelve.  Went  to  the  Bishop's 
palace  and  heard  his  Charge.  Altogether  it  was  the  most 
solemn  thing  I  ever  heard.  He  talked  to  us  most  seriously 
for  nearly  two  hours  on  the  inward  call,  the  ministerial  duties, 
&c.  Oh !  may  I  never  forget  it,  and  may  this  be  to  me  a 
lesson,  among  many  others  I  have  had  of  late,  not  to  judge 
of  men  harshly,  or  before  the  time,  as  I  certainly  had  of  the 
Bishop  of  Exeter. 

''  Next  day  to  the  Cathedral  at  ten,  and  I  was  ordained. 
What  a  service  it  is  !  and  the  Bishop's  manner  was  most 
solemn,  and  altogether  all  was  most  suitable  and  proper.  I 
am  very  thankful  to  God  for  having  brought  me  to  such  a 
place  and  such  a  man.'' 

On  his  way  back  to  Ampton  he  spent  one  evening  at 
Heale  in  the  society  of  very  old  and  dear  friends,  and  read 
to  them  the  Ordination  Service. 

On  his  return  to  Ampton,  not  being  quite  well,  a  feeling 
of  depression  came  over  him  as  he  approached  a  home  from 


92  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  III. 

wliich  liis  father  had  now  removed^  and  where  he  was  200 
miles  away  from  his  nearest  earthly  friends. 

He  makes  the  following  entry  in  his  journal :  — 

"  First  let  me  begin  with  an  acknowledgment  to  the  Author 
of  all  my  mercies,  and  my  Divine  Saviour  who  has  now 
vouchsafed  to  call  me  to  His  work,  and  given  me  a  place  in 
His  vineyard.  Never  did  I  feel  myself  so  wholly  unworthy  or 
incompetent  as  now  that  I  have  entered  on  the  duties  of  the 
ministry ;  but  His  strength  is  perfected  in  my  weakness." 

To  his  friend,  C.  Merivale,  he  writes  of  his  Ordination  and 
his  home  life  alone  : — 

"  I  had  a  most  pleasant  time  of  it  at  Exeter,  was  delighted 
with  the  Bishop  in  every  way ;  dined  with  him  on  the  Satur- 
day, and  sat  near  him,  so  had  much  talk  on  many  subjects, 
among  others  the  Anthology  and  you.  His  Charge  was  won- 
derfully solemn  and  to  the  point.  Altogether  he  is  a  man 
whom  I  have  put  among  my  persons  not  to  be  despised. 
The  luxury  of  being  quite  alone  is  something  more  than  I 
can  describe.  It  does  one  so  much  good  to  find  out  one^s 
real  place  in  the  universe  of  things,  and  I  seem  to  be  growing 
almost  perceptibly  (like  a  plant  under  a  glass)  in  things  in 
which  I  before  felt  myself  very  deficient.  Whether  I  shall 
ever  ^  unveil  the  blooming  fruit  of  solitary  hours,'  as  Evans 
has  it,  I  know  not. 

"You  say  nothing  more  about  Hallam",  poor  fellow.  I 
do  not  remember  any  thing  for  many  years  which  has  dis- 
tressed me  so  much  as  his  death ;  I  sometimes  sit  and  think 
of  it  till  I  feel  quite  unhappy.  It  seems,  indeed,  a  loud  and 
terrible  stroke  from  the  reality  of  things  upon  the  fairy 
building  of  our  youth." 

He  gives  this  account  of  the  first  Sunday  (November  3) 
after  his  ordination  :  — 

"  Performed  my  first  service  and  preached  my  first  sermon 
(I  am  happy  to  say  without  nervousness  or  inconvenience) 
from  Matt,  xxviii.  end.     Full  congregations.     Was  not  at  all 


'  The  death  of  Arthur  Henry  Hallam,  as  is  well  known,  is  the  subject  of 
Tennyson's  great  poem,  "  In  Memoriam."  There  is  a  humbler  tribute  to  hia 
memory  in  the  "  School  of  the  Heart,"  Lesson  v.,  "  Poems,"  p.  63. 


1833]  His  first  Sermon.  93 

tired.  Praise  be  to  God  wlio  so  graciously  through  this 
trying  day  has  brought  me. 

"  I  see  the  absolute  necessity  of  regvilarly  undertaking  the 
study  of  divinity ;  I  think  my  best  plan  will  be  to  study  the 
Scriptures.  At  present  going  on  with  the  Epistles  in  the 
early  part  of  the  morning,  next  Hebrew,  and  after  that 
Ecclesiastical  History.  Mosheim  for  the  present.  My 
sermons  in  the  morning;  and  what  time  I  can  spare  from 
that  for  classics  and  metaphysics,  in  which  department 
Butler  must  be  the  first  book.^^ 

Soon  after  he  had  begun  his  work  as  a  clergyman,  he 
writes  to  his  cousin  Fanny  : — 

"  I  have  now  begun  God^s  work  in  the  strictest  sense.  I 
am  now  in  an  office  to  which  I  had  often  looked  forward, 
and  too  often  with  a  sort  of  indefinite  pleasure,  without 
laying  before  me  the  duties  and  requirements  of  it,  and  I 
must  say  I  feel,  what  till  now  I  never  felt  half  so  deeply  or 
vividly,  that  I  am  most  unequal  to  them^ 

''  My  inexperience  may  be  in  a  few  years  remedied,  but  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  no  ground  to  go  upon.  My  fancied  fitness 
for  the  ministry,  and  my  cherished  schemes  of  usefulness, 
have  all  slipped  away,  and  I  am  left  a  mere  boy  in  under- 
standing. My  texts  for  next  week  are  :  — Thursday  evening, 
Eev.  xiv.  12,  13,  an  introductory  sermon  to  the  lectures  on 
the  history  of  the  Church ;  Sunday  morning.  Matt.  v.  3,  a 
text  which  I  feel  will  do  me  especial  good  at  this  time  to 
think  upon;  on  Sunday  evening  Phil.  iii.  21,  a  glorious 
subject,  and  one  which  I  think  may  be  made  useful  by  being 
put  in  the  light  of  a  strong  contrast  between  our  vile  body 
and  His  glorious  body,  and  showing  by  what  power  this 
change  will  take  place.  I  mean  to  have  the  children  to  sing 
on  Thursdays  and  Fridays ;  and  on  Sundays,  boys  ten  and 
half-past  three,  girls  half-past  ten  and  half-past  two. 

"  I  have  lately  lost  a  very  dear  and  intimate  college  friend, 
Hallam,  who  died  suddenly  at  Vienna.     He  was  a  man  of  a 


3  The  poem   entitled  "The  Ancient  Man"  refers  to   his   experience  at 
Ampton.     "  Poems,"  p..  225. 


94  Life  of  Deari  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

"wonderful  mind  and  knowledge  on  all  subjects^  hardly  credi- 
ble at  Ill's  age — younger  than  myself.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  our  own,  French,  German,  Italian,  and  Spanish  litera- 
ture, besides  being  a  good  classical  scholar,  and  of  the  most 
tender  affectionate  disposition ;  and  there  was  something 
admirably  simple  and  earnest  in  all  he  said  or  did.  I  long 
ago  set  him  down  for  the  most  wonderful  person  altogether 
I  ever  knew." 

From  his  ordination  till  Christmas  he  was  working  his 
parish  and  reading  for  his  fellowship.  His  friend  B.  T. 
Yaughan  (afterwards  Vicar  of  St.  Martin's,  Leicester)  thus 
describes  him  now: — 

'''^  Twice  during  the  autumn  of  1833,  and  the  following 
winter,  I  stayed  with  him  in  the  parsonage  [Ampton]  at  the 
edge  of  Lord  Calthorpe's  beautiful  place.  I  have  the  most  de- 
lightful remembrance  of  rambles  with  him  by  the  lake,  and 
through  the  woods  vocal,  in  the  depths  of  a  mild  winter,  with 
innumerable  rooks.  He  was  throwing  all  his  heart  and  mind 
into  his  new  ministerial  duties,  his  sermons,  and  his  pastoral 
intercourse  with  the  simple  villagers,  in  which  already  he 
seemed  to  find  a  happiness  more  congenial  to  his  true  taste 
than  the  restless  intellectual  activity  of  the  circle  in  which  he 
had  lived  at  Cambridge ;  but  he  was  as  diligent  in  study 
as  ever.  He  was  thinking  and  feeling  much  on  the  reli- 
gions questions  of  the  day.  He  was  taking  pupils  too,  young 
men  preparing  for  college ;  a  work  which  occupied  a  large 
share  of  his  time  from  henceforth  to  the  summer  of  1849, 
when  he  gave  it  up  finally." 

The  following  letter  was  written  to  his  betrothed  cousin,  in 
answer  to  some  remarks  on  the  peculiarities  of  his  character : — 

''  Never  be  afraid  Fanny  to  tell  me  what  you  have.  If 
for  no  other  reason  than  that  you  do  so  I  ought  to  con- 
sider you  my  best  earthly  friend.  Now  never  spare  to  do  so ; 
whenever  you  see  this  in  me,  do  tell  me ;  not  perhaps  at  the 
time,  but  the  first  opportunity  afterwards.  You  are  too  much 
disposed  to  make  allowances  for  me.  I  am  afraid  in  very 
many  instances  it  is  much  more  than  my  manner,  that  I 
feel  a   sort  of  contempt  for   the   opinions  of  others  which 


1833]  Curacy  at  Ampton.  95 

leads  me  to  show  this  manner  towards  them.  Much  of 
this  is  owing  to  the  pride  of  my  natural  heart,  which 
struggles  in  me,  and  sometimes  gets  the  upper  hand  in  a 
manner  which  makes  me  ashamed  and  grieved  when  I  come 
to  reflect  upon  it.  But  there  are  also  minor  causes,  and 
one  of  these  is,  that  my  society  at  Cambridge  has  long 
consisted  of  a  very  exclusive  set  of  men,  of  certainly  very 
superior  minds,  who  form  a  sort  of  aristocracy  in  the  Univer- 
sity, and  I  think  their  opinion  of,  and  behaviour  towards 
men  who  have  not  had  the  same  advantages  has  been  too 
haughty  and  self-important.  Another  reason  is,  I  have  got 
among  them,  and  from  them,  much  truly  valuable  mental 
instruction  and  discipline,  and  one  consequence  of  it  is,  I 
never  like  or  can  bear  to  take  any  thing  upon  trust  (always 
excepting  the  great  mysteries  of  our  faith,  which  rest  on  a 
different  footing  altogether),  unless  I  can  see  my  way  very 
clearly  to  it.  I  cannot  take  up  any  opinion,  however  common 
it  may  be.  But  then  the  mischief  of  it  is,  I  do  not  make 
allowances  for  those  who  have  not  had  the  advantages, 
whether  real  or  fancied,  which  I  have  had ;  and  if  I  find  any 
persons  holding  opinions  which  I  cannot  subscribe  to,  or 
have  satisfied  myself  of  the  error  of,  I  set  upon  them  without 
mercy  or  allowance,  as  if  they  were  some  terrible  moral 
delinquents,  or  had  done  me  some  great  personal  injury. 
These  explanations  I  give  not  in  any  way  to  justify  myself, 
but  to  lay  open  to  you  the  reasons,  in  many  cases,  of  that 
otherwise  unaccountable  manner.  But  after  all,  whatever 
minor  causes  may  have  conduced  to  increase  it,  my  natural 
pride  and  self-importance  are  the  true  and  great  causes  of 
it — feelings  very  opposite  to  that  true  Christian  humility 
which  should  be  eminent  especially  in  a  minister  of  Christ. 

''  I  entreat  and  conjure  you  by  every  thing  you  value,  if 
you  have  any  regard  for  my  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare, 
to  do  your  utmost  to  cure  me  of  that  sharpness  and  spirit  of 
opposition  which  so  often  shows  itself  in  me.  I  am  conscious 
very  frequently  of  saying  things  from  the  mere  desire  of 
opposition. 

"  I  was  so  pleased  with  your  account  of  Tintern  Abbey  : 


g6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  III. 

don't  count  those  days  wasted.  You  don't  know  wliat  au 
effect  sucli  sights  as  these  have  upon  the  mind — an  effect 
not  observed^  and  working  silently,  but  not  the  less  sure  for 
that,  and  one  which  is  felt  in  after-life  often  in  the  most 
solemn  and  important  things.  We  are  too  apt  to  think  that 
we  get  nothing  except  by  actual  exercise  of  our  mental 
powers ;  whereas  very  much  of  the  growth  of  our  minds,  and 
more  especially  of  our  power  of  appreciation  of  truth  and 
fitness  in  things,  arises  from  little  things  which  we  take  no 
note  of,  and  which  occur  when  we  fancy  ourselves  unem- 
ployed, and  are  not  on  the  look-out  for  any  such  teaching. 

An  extract  from  his  journal  will  take  us  to  the  end  of  this 
year. 

'^  Dec.  19. — Ampton.  I  have  been  here  now  seven  weeks, 
not  living  in  such  active  study  and  conscientious  attention 
to  duty  as  becomes  me.  0  how  the  profession  of  God's 
ministry  and  the  light  of  His  countenance  bring  to  notice 
all  my  many  shortcomings,  and  set  before  me  my  secret 
sins.  Sloth — sloth  is  my  crying  and  most  usual  evil ;  many 
hours  do  I  waste  which  hereafter  will  be  more  precious 
than  diamonds,  and  I  know  not  how  to  combat  it,  for  at 
times  I  seem  to  have  lost  all  my  energy,  and  with  it  both 
the  wish  and  the  power  to  regain  it.  God  grant  that  it 
may  not  be  the  beginning  of  a  chilly  and  inactive  manhood. 
Striving  against  it  now  is  the  only  means  to  prevent  it, 
and  by  His  grace  strive  with  it  I  will. 

"Dec.  31. — It  has  pleased  my  Heavenly  Father  to  bring 
me  safe  to  the  end  of  another  year,  a  very  eventful  one  to 
me,  for  what  I  anticipated  has  taken  place.  I  have  been 
admitted  into  the  ministry,  and  there  has  opened  before  me 
a  glorious  work ;  the  work  indeed  of  a  life.  May  I  increase 
in  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 

"  I  am  now  going  on  with  my  poems  for  a  second  volume, 
which  I  heartily  hope  may  be  blessed  to  bringing  to  a  better 
mind  many  who  are  worth  reclaiming  from  the  nonsense  now 
abroad,  and  bad  taste  becoming  so  common." 

Two  pupils,  Dunbar  Heath  and  Lawrence,  came  to  him  at 
this  time,  and  in   the   spring  of  1834  his  first  sermon  was 


1834]  Reads  for  a  Fellowship.  97 

published ;  it  was  entitled,  "  An  Address  to  the  Inhabitants 
of  Bury  St.  Edmund^s  on  the  Lord's  Day'." 

To  Fanny  Alford. 

"  March  25. 

"  Every  hour  of  every  day  is  filled  up;  but  I  am  quite  happy 
in  being  employed  in  the  service  of  Christ  and  being  per- 
mitted to  lay  aside  all  points  of  contention  and  argument 
and  doubt,  and  enforce  the  plain  saving  truths  of  the  Gospel. 
Should  God  unite  us  together,  I  have  often  determined 
in  looking  forward  to  the  time,  that  we  would  endeavour 
strenuously  to  avoid  the  indolence  and  inertness  of  mind  which 
seem  often  to  creep  over  people  when  they  settle  in  life.'" 

His  journal  notes  : — 

"  A]jril  4. — My  third  pupil  Reynolds  is  come;  I  am  afraid  I 
have  not  been  enough  in  the  parish  of  late,  I  must  therefore 
begin  to  be  more  so,  not  that  I  think  it  needful  or  desi- 
rable to  keep  up  the  system  of  espionage,  which  already  is 
too  much  carried  on  here,  but  because  the  people  have  been 
accustomed  to  more  attention,  and  so  look  for  it.  My  poem 
and  the  fellowship  go  on  but  poorly,  I  seem  to  be  consumed 
with  things  to  do,  and  yet  cannot  find  any  solid  fruit  for  all 
my  work;  my  reading  is  a  mere  farce  with,  on  an  average, 
six  hours  per  day  employed  in  pupils  and  sermon  work ;  by 
getting  up  at  six  o'clock  I  have  managed  to  finish  Butler's 
'  Analogy,'  but  I  must  read  it  again. 

"April  22. — I  have  heard  from  my  father  in  answer  to 
my  question  about  the  fellowship ;  he  wishes  that  I  should 
exert  myself  as  much  as  possible  to  get  one;  this  then  I 
must  set  about,  though  with  my  present  occupation,  reading 
is  very  uphill  work,  especially  that  of  mathematics.  I  have 
been  reading  Berkeley,  and  Reid  versus  Berkeley,  and  I 
can't  tell  what  to  think  of  either  of  them,  for  my  mind 
seems  wholly  incapacitated  for  thinking  on  any  subject.  I 
never  was  so  stupid  and  worth  nothing  intellectually,  and 
now  I  am  to  begin  and  accomplish  the  work  of  arranging 


'■>  During  his  stay  at  Ampton  he  printed  another  sermon  entitled,  "  Faith 
Explained  and  Enforced :"  preached  in  Ampton  Chui'ch,  and  printed  for  the 
use  of  the  parishioners. 

H 


98  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

all  I  ever  knew,  and  bring  it  to  bear  upon  one  point.  All 
I  can  say  is,  if  they  elect  me  fellow,  they  must  be  grievously 
in  want  of  fellows.''^ 

He  was  now  settled  with  his  pupils  at  Ampton,  and  for 
some  months  his  journal  records  chiefly  the  names  of  occa- 
sional visitors,  and  the  sights  and  sounds  which  met  him  in 
the  neighbouring  woods;  e.  g.  '^  April  18.  First  heard  the 
nightingale;  19,  saw  swallows;  20,  heard  the  cuckoo;  30, 
hawthorn  in  bloom;  May  1,  lilac  in  bloom;  2,  swifts  appear; 
5,  laburnum  in  bloom. ^^  Throughout  his  life  he  never  failed 
to  notice  such  occurrences  with  a  fresh  intei'est  every  year. 
In  June  and  July  he  visited  London,  Somersetshire,  and 
Cambridge. 

The  following  letter,  dated  August,  was  written  to  Mr.  J. 
Allen  on  his  marriage  : — 

"I  write  immediately  on  hearing  your  direction,  to  con- 
gratulate you  on  the  event  which,  in  common  with  all  our 
Cambridge  coterie,  I  have  been  delighted  to  hear. 

"  And  so  you  are  married,  and  doesn't  the  world  seem  to 
have  an  end,  and  the  ancient  sayings  of  prophets  to  be 
accomplished ;  we  bachelors  go  about  in  a  constant  state  of 
seeking  and  imperfection ;  our  talk  is  of  fellowships  and 
pupils  and  such  like  buffetings  in  the  voyage  of  life  ;  and 
you  happy  fellows  have  made  your  port,  and  are  safe  in  the 
haven  where  you  would  be,  with  your  white  sails  in  the  sun- 
shine. We  are  cheated  out  of  our  better  feelings  by  the 
importunate  calls  of  worldly  studies.  You  seem  to  have  all 
the  poetry  of  your  life  let  loose  upon  you,  and  to  have  dis- 
covered an  inexhaustible  treasure  of  joy,  quiet  and  uninter- 
meddled-with.  I  used  to  think  I  knew  you ;  but  you  are 
grown  double,  and  I  only  know  half  of  you.  Mysteries,  these 
deep  things  of  life. 

"  May  you,  dear  fellow,  never  have  a  moment's  cause  to 
repent  your  being  in  them.  As  to  my  own  love  affair,  it 
begins  to  dawn  to  a  close,  I  hope ;  provided  I  can  obtain  a 
settled  residence,  I  believe  Easter  is  to  be  the  time;  nine- 
teen years'  courtship,  and  three  of  engagement  is,  I  should 
think,  as  long  a  time  of  pleasurable  suspense  as  most  people 


1834]  Fellowship.    Wymeswold.  99 

ever  look  back  upon.  With  every  wish  and  prayer  for  your 
future  happiness/' 

He  went  on  reading  for  his  fellowship,  of  which  he  says, 
"  I  think  I  have  about  as  much  chance  as  I  have  of  being 
Emperor  of  China/'  But  he  was  agreeably  disappointed. 
After  the  examination,  he  writes  to  his  father : — 

"  Oct.  1.  The  fellowships  have  just  announced  themselves; 
the  list  is  as  follows  : — • 


1.  Lushington. 

2.  Alford. 

3.  Thompson. 


4.  Hamilton. 

5.  Dobson. 

6.  Birks. 


I  know  you  will  rejoice  with  me  at  this  unexpected  result. 
I  think  you  will  both  hope  and  pray  with  me  that  this 
increase  of  influence  may  be  for  my  real  good  and  that  of 
others  with  whom  I  shall  be  concerned." 

To  his  cousin  Fanny  he  writes  : — 

"I  have  some  good  news  for  you,  I  am  a  fellow  of  Trinity; 
having  got  my  fellowship,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  devise 
methods  to  rid  myself  of  it  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  next  month  he  was  ordained  priest ;  to  his  father  he 
writes  in  November, — "I  go  to  town  on  Friday  to  be  ordained 
priest  at  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  i.  e.  if  it  be  not  burnt ; 
it  is  close  to  Westminster  Abbey  and  the  burning  Houses  of 
Parliament.  May  God's  blessing  rest  on  me  in  that  solemn 
and  responsible  ofiice.  My  tutor  Peacock  says,  rather  than 
I  should  marry  without  a  living,  he  would  give  up  a  small 
one  in  Leicestershire  which  he  holds  with  his  fellowship,  and 
which  he  has  been  thinking  of  doing  for  some  time." 

His  journal  says  : — 

"  Nov.  6. — Went  up  to  town  and  received  the  Holy  Orders 
of  a  Priest ;  may  I  be  a  temple  of  chastity  and  holiness  fit  and 
clean  to  receive  so  great  a  guest ;  and  on  so  great  a  com- 
mission as  I  have  now  received,  O  my  beloved  Redeemer, 
my  dear  Brother  and  Master,  hear  my  prayer." 

Eventually  he  was  presented  to  Wymeswold,  but  it  was 
not  till  March  4,  1835. 

A  week  or  two  after  this,  having  paid  a  visit  to  the  place 
which  was  to  be  his  home  for  eighteen  years,  he  thus  de- 
H   2 


[OO  Life  of  Dea]i  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

scribes  it  to  his  father  : — "  Wymeswold  is  five  miles  east  of 
Loughborough^  twelve  from  Nottingham_,  fourteen  from  Lei- 
cester^  and  eight  from  Melton  Mowbray;  population  1200, 
value  llOZ.;  fine  church;  but  now  comes  the  drawback,  and 
a  considerable  one  it  is,  the  house  is  a  very  bad  one ;  so  bad 
(I  have  seen  it)  that  I  could  not  show  a  pupil  into  it  as  a 
bachelor,  much  less  a  wife.  Give  me  your  practical  judg- 
ment on  it,  there  seems  to  me  to  be  much  to  be  said  on  both 
sides.  I  hardly  know  which  way  my  own  inclination  turns. 
I  saw  the  place  on  Monday,  my  general  impression  was 
favourable.  Country  fine,  having  Charnwood  Forest  hills 
within  a  drive  or  ride.  The  parish  is  full  of  charities,  and  I 
am  told  a  judicious  application  of  the  new  poor  laws  would 
in  a  few  years  abolish  poor-rates  altogether.^' 

After  it  was  apparently  settled  he  writes  again  : — 

To  HIS  Fathee. 
"  Now  consider  me  as  vicar  of  Wymeswold.  I  do  indeed 
join  with  your  kind  wishes  for  my  usefulness  there  in  sub- 
servience to  the  will  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  the  fulfilment  of 
which  is  with  us  as  it  was  with  Christ,  the  end  of  our  being 
born  into  the  world.  It  will,  I  expect,  be  a  post  of  much  in- 
creasing labour.  The  population  is  large,  and  the  nature  of  it 
seems  to  require  particular  attention.  The  dissenters  there  will 
afford  am^Dle  scope  for  the  exercise  of  Christian  charity  and  also 
of  temperate  zeal.  The  tempoi-al  concerns  of  the  parish  will 
also  demand  much  attention ;  from  all  accounts  the  charities 
have  been  abused,  the  poor  neglected  or  injudiciously  treated 
for  some  years ;  some  conflicts  and  difficulties  must  be  ex- 
pected in  all  these  points,  some  striving  to  convince  the  short- 
sighted and  ignorant,  and  to  convict  the  interested,  and  stir 
up  the  indolent.  It  is  a  place  where  there  will  be  much  to  do 
and  bear  with,  full  of  good  institutions,  but  apparently  not 
efficient  for  want  of  proper  management,  or  active  superin- 
tendence of  some  leading  person.  This  I  look  forward  to  with 
much  distrust  of  myself,  though,  I  hope,  without  shrinking 
from  it;  indeed  I  feel  glad  that  God  has  thought  it  fit  to  ap- 
point me  to  a  place  of  duty,  to  put  an  office  into  my  hands,  and 


1835]  Marriage.  i  o  i 

entrust  me  with  such  a  charge.  Pray  for  me^  my  dear  father, 
that  I  may  not  fall  into  a  state  of  indolence  and  indecision, 
which  I  feel  strongly  to  be  my  temptation,  being  a  reaction  after 
some  years  spent  in  constant  labour  and  frequent  excitement." 

It  was  in  the  interval  between  his  ordination  and  his  mar- 
riage that  he  met  with  an  accident,  the  effect  of  which  was 
visible  as  long  as  he  lived.  In  November  he  had  a  fall  from  a 
tree  of  twenty-four  feet  in  height,  and  was  mercifully  preserved 
with  no  further  injury  than  dislocating  his  right  elbow. 

On  December  29th,  after  having  sent  to  press  a  new 
volume  of  poems,  he  left  Ampton,  to  visit  his  father  at  Wink- 
field,  and  to  make  at  Heale  the  final  arrangements  for  his 
marriage.  On  his  return  to  Ampton  he  writes  to  his  cousin 
Fanny  just  before  his  marriage  :  — 

"  I  was  presented  to  Wymeswold  on  Monday,  and  am 
now,  therefore,  vicar  of  that  place.  God  grant  it  may  be 
for  our  good.  Soon  our  joys  will  be  doubled  and  our  sor- 
rows halved  by  mutual  participation.  I  wish  I  could  read 
you  Jeremy  Taylor's  sermon  on  the  Marriage-ring ;  however, 
I  will,  please  God,  ere  long. 

'^  I  suppose  you  are  infinitely  busy,  so  am  I,  for  what  with 
writing  letters,  attending  to  my  pupils  and  my  volume  of 
Poems,  and  finishing  a  new  barrel  to  the  organ'  for  the 
church  here,  which  I  don't  like  to  leave  unfinished,  and  the 
parish,  I  hardly  know  which  way  to  turn  myself. 

"  Time  hath  leaden  wings. 
"  The  days,  thongh  full  of  work,  lag  slowly  on; 
O  for  some  wise  receipt  to  make  them  fly 
As  fast  as  fly  my  wishes.     The  glad  words 
Should  then  have  been  pronounced  which  make  us  one  : 
And  we  (till  God  shall  send  and  fetch  us  home), 
Together  bound  for  better  or  for  worse." 

The  marriage  took  place  at  Curry-Eivell  church,  on  March 
10,  1835.  We  left  Heale  for  Cheltenham  and  Malvern  (see 
Sonnet  xlii.,  "Poems,"  p.  177).  Our  road  lay  through  Wor- 
cester and  Birmingham  to  Tamworth,  where  a  visit  was  paid 
to  his  mother's  grave;  and  from  thence,  passing  through 


1  With  his  own  hand  he  set  several  tunes  on  the  organ  in  Ampton  Church, 
which  he  found  simply  a  common  barrel-organ. 


102  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

Asliby  and  Longliborougli^  we  arrived  at  Wymeswold,  his 
new  incumbency,  where  he  officiated  in  the  church,  March 
15 ;  and  afterwards  made  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
coming  to  live  there.  We  returned  by  Cambridge  to  his 
curacy  at  Anipton,  where  he  officiated  in  church  on  Sunday, 
the  22nd.  At  Ampton  we  spent  the  first  four  months  of  our 
married  hfe. 

To  his  friend,  C.  Merivale,  he  says : — 

"  I  wish  you  could  come  and  see  us,  going  hand  in  hand, 
and  every  day  making  me,  and  I  may  safely  say  both  of  us, 
more  and  more  thankful  to  God  for  His  mercy  in  bringing  us 
together.''^ 

To  his  sister-in-law,  Mary  : — 

^'You  cannot  think  how  pleasant  a  thing  it  is  to  have 
known  each  other  from  childhood ;  it  gives  so  much  of  com- 
mon interest  and  retrospects  for  both  to  speak  of  and  feed 
affection  upon.  You  should  see  her  bustling  about  in  the 
house,  or  coming  down  to  me  with  her  bundle  of  books  to  be 
tutorized,  with  health  and  happiness  en  her  rosy  cheeks.'' 

His  entries  in  his  diary  are  not  now  so  regular  (for  a  time) . 
On  May  1  he  writes  : — "  How  very  much  has  happened  since 
I  wrote  here;  various  employments  and  other  reasons  have 
caused  it.  I  am  now  enjoying,  as  a  quiet  and  usual  thing, 
the  daily  company  of  that  dear  person  who  has  been  through 
my  young  life  the  chief  object  of  my  love  here  on  earth. 
God  has  now  filled  up  the  measure  of  His  mercies  to  me, 
while  that  of  my  gratitude  is  yet  empty." 

In  July  we  went  from  Ampton  to  Cambridge  to  be  pre- 
sent at  the  installation  of  the  Marquis  Camden.  Our  occu- 
pation of  the  rectory  of  Ampton  now  came  to  an  end :  his 
father  resumed  his  residence  there,  and  we  removed  to 
Wymeswold,  where  a  house  was  hired  sufficient  to  accom- 
modate the  pupils  and  ourselves.  Whilst  it  was  being 
furnished  we  took,  as  he  says  in  his  journal — 

'^  Aug.  4. — An  excursion  into  Derbyshire,  to  the  Peak 
District  and  Dovedale.  We  walked  the  last  day  fifteen 
miles,  and  wont  in  old  style  with  knapsack.  Delighted 
with  Castleton  and  the  Peak. 


1835]  Second  Editio7i  of  his  Poems.  103 

"Aug.  11. — Much  is  to  be  done  as  usual;  or,  rather  more 
than  usual.  Hebrew  must  not  be  neglected,  nor  German ; 
both,  however,  bye-works  compared  with  the  great  end  of 
my  ministerial  duties,  and  the  scarcely  less  important  object 
of  my  dear  Fanny's  improvement^  which  I  have  so  much  at 
heart.     My  pupils  are  now  come  back.'' 

Soon  after  this  time  many  circumstances  combined  to 
produce  a  depression  of  spirits.  In  addition  to  his  minis- 
terial duties  in  a  lai-ge  parish,  and  the  trouble  of  becoming- 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  its  "localities  and  politics," 
he  had  the  care  of  four  pupils.  He  was  full  of  desire  to 
advance  in  knowledge,  and  to  "  do  some  good  among  men ;" 
and  he  could  not  fail  to  miss  the  refreshment  and  pleasure  of 
frequent  intercourse  with  men  of  intellect  and  cultivation, 
from  whom  he  was  now  in  a  great  measure  secluded.  These 
clouds,  however,  gradually  vanished. 

About  this  time  the  second  edition  of  his  Poems  was  pub- 
lished at  Cambridge.  It  is  in  two  volumes  :  the  first  [169 
pages]  containing  '■''  Sonnets  and  Minor  Poems  ;"  the  second 
[129  pages]  "The  School  of  the  Heart."  With  reference 
to  this  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  0.  Merivale : — 

"Do  you  see  me  outside  Deighton's  catalogue  in  the 
corner  ?  '  The  Passion  of  St.  Agnes '  is  a  sort  of  anomalous 
thing,  taken  in  part  from  one  of  the  irepX  ar€(pdvQ)v  poems  of 
Prudentius,  which  are  very  beautiful.  My  long  poem  makes 
its  bow,  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  '  School  of  the  Heart,'  an 
old  title,  I  believe,  to  a  sort  of  religious  picture-book  of 
Quarles  [though  I  can  find  no  mention  of  it  in  his  life] ,  and 
now  adopted  in  lieu  of  a  better,  after  a  long  search  for  one. 
I  think  it  does  very  well  to  combine  all  the  very  miscel- 
laneous matter  which  that  poem  doth,  or  will  contain.  The 
several  parts  are  called  Lessons  i,,  ii.,  &c.,  embellished  with 
appropriate  mottoes." 

The  following  letter  to  another  friend  also  relates  to  this 
publication : — 

"...  Whilst  I  am  on  this  subject,  my  new  poems,  my 
wish  has  been  to  undertake  a  work  for  God  and  to  promote 
His  glory.     I  am  determined  by  His  grace  to  use  any  power 


1 04  Life  of  Dean  A  /ford.  [Chap.  III. 

I  may  have  to  promote  His  cause,  and  for  this  reason  I  have 
undertaken  to  describe  in  a  sort  of  conversational  narrative 
what  I  conceive  to  be  the  food,  natural  and  physical,  of  a 
renewed  soul  on  its  way  to  God ;  thus  showing  how  all 
earthly  beauty,  natural  and  moral,  has  its  right  place  and 
its  purest  enjoyment  in  a  soul  so  ordered,  and  how  revealed 
and  spiritual  truth  and  beauty  bear  on  \i." 

The  following  letter  from  William  Wordsworth,  doubtless, 
belongs  to  this  time,  though  no  year  is  given : — 

"  Lowthe  Castle,  Sept.  26. 

"  My  dear  Sib, — A  few  days  before  I  left  home  I  had  the 
honour  of  receiving  your  two  volumes,  '  The  School  of  the 
Heart,'  and  some  time  before,  a  letter  from  you,  for  both 
which  marks  of  your  esteem  I  beg  to  return  you  my  sincere 
thanks.  Being  at  present  in  a  house  where  franks  abound, 
and  not  purposing  to  return  home  immediately,  I  avail  my- 
self of  this  opportunity  to  say,  that  I  was  so  much  pleased 
with  the  '  Lessons'  which  I  read  that  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
whole  of  the  book  will  delight  me  when  I  shall  be  able  to 
peruse  it  at  leisure.  The  strains  of  sentiment  are  such  as 
I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  cultivating  for  my  own  great 
benefit  (as  I  have  lately  had  much  cause  to  feel  under  severe 
domestic  affliction),  and  also  with  no  little  service,  as  you 
encourage  me  to  believe,  to  others.  My  right  arm  is  sufiering 
under  a  severe  sprain,  which  must  be  my  excuse  for  not 
writing  at  greater  length,  and  so  illegibly.  Believe  me  to 
be,  my  dear  sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"■  Wm.  Wordsworth." 


His  Poems  were  criticized  in  the  "  Edinburgh  Review,'' 
No.  126.  He  thus  refers  in  his  common-place  book  to  the 
article : — 

"  The  principal  faults  objected  to  me  are  carelessness  in 
language  and  inconsistency  of  opinion,  to  both  of  which  I 
frankly  confess,  having,  in  the  first  place,  a  strange  aversion 


1836]  Criticisms  on  his  Poems.  105 

to  correction  of  any  kind ;  and  again,  being  on  many  matters 
in  such  a  state  of  progress  and  unsettledness,  and  having 
been  still  more  so  than  I  am — to  wit,  especially  during  the 
time  while  those  poems  were  being  written.  The  whole 
article  is  more  one  of  praise  than  blame,  but  there  is  much 
of  both.  I  certainly  must  endeavour  to  systematize  more 
than  I  have  done.  Subjects  for  poetry  must  be  chosen,  and 
the  'patient  labour  of  manly  years'  be  at  last  undertaken. 
A  subject  for  a  long  poem,  some  time  thought  of,  doth  not 
yet  appear.  Sonnets  must  be  cultivated,  and,  for  the  sake 
of  avoiding  scandal,  regularity  of  structure  observed.^' 

It  may  be  mentioned  here,  that  amongst  other  readers  of 
the  new  edition  of  his  poems  was  the  Rev.  John  Moultrie, 
rector  of  Rugby.  Though  not  personally  acquainted  with 
the  writer,  Mr.  Moultrie  felt  so  much  delight  with  the  book, 
that  he  addressed  a  poem  of  considerable  length  to  Henry 
Alford. 

The  autumn  of  1835  and  the  following  winter  were  spent 
in  the  quiet  discharge  of  ordinary  duties  at  Wymeswold.  We 
received  visits  from  many  members  of  our  family.  No  letters 
have  been  preserved  that  were  written  at  this  time. 

The  strong  feeling  with  which  he  dwelt  upon  the  intel- 
lectual society  at  Cambridge,  and  its  happy  "  days  of  youthful 
confidence  and  sacred  joy,'''  is  shown  in  the  '^  Lines  written 
in  a  Gift  Book''  ("  Poems,"  p.  131).  The  book,  given  to  his 
wife,  March  10,  1836  (the  first  anniversary  of  the  wedding- 
day),  had  belonged  to  Arthur  Hallam,  and  the  lines  in  their 
degree  are  not  less  full  of  his  memory  than  is  the  great  poem 
of  Tennyson. 

It  must  have  been  in  the  spring  of  this  year  that  his 
father,  having  occasion  to  call  in  a  medical  man  at  Havre, 
was  treated  with  unusual  kindness,  because  he  was  the  father 
of  Henry  Alford,  whose  poems  the  doctor  had  lately  read. 
This  incident  formed  the  subject  of  the  following  sonnet, 
which  is  only  to  be  found  in  a  small  edition"  of  his  poems, 
called  "  The  Abbot  of  Muchelnaye,  Sonnets,  &c." 


Published  in  1841,  and  dedicated  to  the  Rev.  J.  Moultrie. 


lo6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  III. 

ON  AN  INCIDENT  WHICH  HAPPENED  AT  HAVEE, 

April,  1836. 

"  Since  my  first  essay  to  the  world  went  forth, 
Twice  spoke  the  critic  from  his  seat  severe 
Words  not  unpleasing  to  my  youthful  ear ; 
Nor  in  my  walk  of  life  hath  there  been  dearth 
Of  praising  tongues,  in  earnest  and  in  mirth  : 
Self-chiding  it  hath  ask'd,  and  wholesome  fear 
Firmly  against  the  Syren's  voice  to  steer, 
And  measure  praises  by  their  sterling  worth. 
But  when  I  learn  that  in  a  stranger  land 
My  wandering  fame  hath  in  the  hour  of  pain 
Bespoke  the  soothing  voice  and  ministering  hand 
For  thee,  my  father — to  resist  were  vain. 
Nearer  to  tears  my  thankful  heart  it  stirr'd 
Than  each  approving  page  or  praising  word." 

On  May  28  he  writes  at  Wymeswold : — 

"  I  liave  passed  in  full  employment  two  months  with  five 
pupils  and  my  parish^  and  in  great  and  increasing  happiness. 
My  poetical  career  seems  for  the  present  suspended — not^  I 
would  hope,  for  good,  though  in  less  hopeful  moments  I  am 
led  to  suspect  so.  The  '  Edinburgh '  and  ^  Blackwood/ 
the  latter  especially,  have  noticed  my  book  favourably,  and 
I  have  had  many  encouragements ;  but  this  spring  has  not 
called  out  my  poetic  propensities  in  the  same  manner  that 
former  ones  have  done. 

"  My  excess  of  employment  generates  a  correspondent 
indolence  at  leisure  times,  which  prevents  me  from  applying 
to  composition  as  I  could  wish.  My  subjects  of  thought  are 
few  in  comparison  with  what  they  used  to  be ;  my  mind  is 
not  so  active,  and  yet  my  opinions  are  not  one  whit  more 
decided  on  any  point.  The  slow,  unobserved  course  of  expe- 
rience seems  to  be  my  teacher,  unfolding,  as  years  go  on,  the 
nature  of  things  as  far  as  I  need  know. 

"  We  promise  ourselves  fom'  weeks  this  vacation  of  enjoy- 
ment in  Derbyshire.  I  then  propose  writing  something  for 
publication,  but  feel  no  drawing  as  yet  towards  any  particular 
subject ;  in  fact,  it  would  be  exceedingly  hard  to  say  what  is 
the  bent  of  my  mind  at  this  time ;  it  seems,  intellectually 
speaking,  to  be  acted  on,  on  all  sides,  and  therefore  at  rest.^' 

Sonnets  xxxv.  and  xlv.  ("Poems/'  pp.  173,  178)  were 
written  at  this  time;   and,  taken  together,    they  seem   to 


1836]  Parochial  Work.  107 

represent  the  same  balanced  state  of  mind,  tlie  former 
showing  a  yearning  after  action ;  the  latter,  a  mistrust  of 
self-guiding  freedom. 

But  he  did  not  suffer  his  feelings  and  his  literary  plans  to 
divert  his  attention  from  his  parish.  It  was  his  habit  at  this 
time  to  preach  unwritten  sermons,  morning,  afternoon,  and 
evening,  every  Sunday.  They  were,  however,  very  far  from 
being  unpremeditated.  A  manuscript  book  is  preserved 
which  contains  his  notes  for  his  parochial  sermons  through- 
out the  last  jfive  months  of  1836.  The  numerous  divisions 
and  subdivisions  show  how  carefully  the  matter  of  each 
sermon  was  considered.  Generally  the  texts  are  taken  from 
a  Lesson  of  the  day  or  other  appropriate  Scripture,  and  the 
notes  for  a  single  sermon  sometimes  are  so  copious  as  to  fill 
six  pages.  The  notes,  I  believe,  were  carefully  read  before 
going  to  church,  but  nothing  except  the  Bible  was  taken  up 
into  the  pulpit. 

At  this  date  he  published  a  letter  on  ''  Infant  Baptism,^' 
addressed  to  one  of  his  parishioners,  a  Baptist,  and  the  father 
of  one  of  his  Sunday-school  girls.  The  case  of  that  family 
was  a  common  one  at  that  time  in  Wymeswold.  Many 
children  were  unbaptized,  some  of  whom,  as  they  grew  up, 
attended  the  Church  Sunday-school,  and  actually  offered 
themselves  for  confirmation  !  and  the  Sunday-school,  which 
was  partly  held  in  the  church,  was  then  the  only  school 
belonging  to  the  Church  in  the  parish. 

He  formed  the  design  of  building  two  schoolrooms,  one 
for  a  national  school  (for  which  he  proposed  to  give  up 
the  old  vicarage-house  and  garden),  the  other,  for  an  infant 
school.  He  induced  some  of  his  parishioners  to  take  an 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  others  and  to  act  as  district 
visitors.  He  compiled  a  small  hymn  book  for  the  use  of 
his  congregation,  and  attempted  to  put  in  order  the  choir  of 
the  church,  which  he  found  in  a  neglected  state. 

Although  he  addressed  himself  with  ardour  to  the  task 
of  organizing  a  large  agricultural  and  manufacturing  parish, 
it  was  not  easy  work  to  a  poor  man,  and  it  was  not  the 
most  congenial  work    to   one  of  his    disposition,   endowed 


lo8  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  III. 

with  a  refined,  intellectual,  and  sensitive  temperament,  and 
with  a  peculiarly  generous,  open  nature.  He  was  here 
brought  into  intercourse  constantly  with  some  who  did  not 
understand  him,  and  into  collision  occasionally  with  some 
who  could  not  sympathize  with  him.  With  all  his  energy 
and  desire  for  progress,  he  was  not  a  man  of  business  in 
the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term,  and  whatever  skill 
and  tact  he  possessed  in  the  administration  of  a  parish,  and 
the  regulation  of  its  machinery,  were  gradually  acquired  in 
the  course  of  his  experience  at  Wymeswold. 

His  five  pupils  returned  to  their  homes  at  Midsummer, 
and  we  went  to  spend  our  first  and  well-earned  vacation 
near  the  wild  scenery  of  the  Peak  in  Derbyshire.  Our  head- 
quarters were  at  Ashford.  The  principal  record  of  this  time 
is  a  set  of  five  Sonnets  (xlix. — liii.  "Poems,"  pp.  181,  182). 

We  returned  to  Wymeswold  early  in  August,  and  in  the 
following  October  our  eldest  child  was  born.  The  Poem 
entitled  "Lines  written  October  23,  1836"  ("  Poems,'' p. 
133),  was  composed  a  few  hours  after  her  birth.  The 
Sonnets  xlvi. — xlviii.  (p.  179),  and  the  Poem  entitled, 
"Christmas  Eve,  1836"  (p.  135),  and  a  Spring  Scene  (p. 
140),  followed  in  due  course.  Yery  early  in  her  life  the 
child  was  taken  on  a  visit  to  her  friends  at  Heale,  which  is 
thus  recorded  : — 

'^At  Christmas,  we  went  during  a  very  deep  snow  to 
London,  where  we  spent  a  week  at  the  Bedford  Hotel, 
Southampton  Eow.  Thence,  after  an  attack  of  influenza,  with 
which  nearly  every  one  in  town  was  laid  up,  went,  taking 
our  little  Alice,  to  Betchworth  in  Surrey,  Mr.  Goulburn's  ^ ; 
and  after  spending  a  few  pleasant  days  there,  posted  on 
through  Winchester  and  Salisbury  to  Heale.  Nearly  all 
there  were  ill  of  influenza,  and  altogether  it  was  a  dreary 
time.  We  came  home  by  way  of  Cheltenham,  and  went  to 
Stratford-on-Avon,  to  visit  Shakspeare's  tomb,  and  see  the 
room  where  he  was  born." 


3  The  Right  Hon.  Henry  Goulburn  was  .it  this  time  Secretary  of  State 
for  the  Home  Department.     His  son  Frederick  was  a  pnpil  at  Wymeswold. 


I  S3  7]  Visiis  Shakspeare  s  Tomb.  109 

The  impression  made  on  his  mind  by  this  memorable  spot 
is  recorded  in  a  Sonnet  (liv.,  "  Poems,"  p.  18),  and  in  the 
following  portion  of  an  article  in  '^  Dearden^s  Miscellany  " 
(vol.  ii.  p.  452,  1839). 

"  To  us  there  is  hardly  a  dearer  spot  in  fair  England  than 
that  chancel  in  Stratford-upon-Avon  church.  The  church- 
yard slopes  to  the  Avon.  Peacefully  and  tenderly  does 
that  famous  stream  glide  by  the  solemn  place.  The  scenery 
around  is  quiet  but  beautiful.  Gentle  swells  and  falls,  and 
willow-peopled  meadows,  are  the  objects  on  which  the  eye 
rests,  looking  country  ward;  and  townward,  many  a  sub- 
stantial dwelling,  coeval  with  the  glories  of  the  place. 
Between  these  two  prospects  the  spire  rises,  crowning  a 
rich  and  massy  pile  of  church  architecture.  You  approach 
it  by  an  ancient  wall  of  limes,  clipped  and  curiously  inter- 
woven overhead.  Inside  you  pass  through  oak-carving, 
and  by  stately  tombs.  You  enter  the  chancel,  lofty  and 
light,  with  full-embelhshed  windows  and  fair  proportions. 
On  your  left,  somewhat  more  than  half  way,  is  a  stone  half- 
length  in  an  arched  niche.  You  know  the  figure  :  who  does 
not  ?  Beneath  your  feet  is  a  slab,  and  a  small  plate  let  into 
it.  Under  you  rests  one  who  has  formed  more  of  your 
mind  than  you  wot  of — the  parent  of  many  a  thought 
which  you  call  your  own.  The  lofty  benevolence  of  Pros- 
pero,  the  pure  gentleness  of  Miranda ;  Juliet  and  her  Eomeo 
— the  dreaming  moodiness  of  Hamlet — the  lovely  lady 
married  to  the  Moor — the  aged  exile-king — with  all  their 
companions,  joyous  or  sad.  It  may  be,  you  think  not  of  them, 
you  feel  them  not;  but  the  power  of  them  is  upon  you. 
Truly  if  there  be  a  place  where  memory  strikes  one  dumb, 
the  present  is  overborne  by  the  past,  the  material  by  the 
spiritual — it  is  that  chancel  and  that  tomb." 

Sonnets  Ix.  and  Ixi.  {^'  Poems,"  p.  186),  written  this  spring 
of  1837,  show  how  fully  he  appreciated  such  rural  beauties 
as  Wymeswold  affords. 

In  the  spring  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  quinsy,  and  was 
otherwise  incapacitated  for  officiating  in  church,  where  there 
were  three  full  services  every  Sunday.  A  curate  (Mr.  Robin- 
son) was  temporarily  engaged. 


I  lO  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

In  June  we  went  abroad  for  ten  weeks^  leaving  our  little 
girl  to  be  taken  care  of  at  Heale.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  either  of  us  saw  the  Continent.  We  went  tlirougb 
Belgium^  Ostend,  Antwerp,  Brussels,  Waterloo,  Namur, 
Liege,  Cologne,  up  the  Rhine,  through  Basle,  Soleure,  Berne, 
Geneva,  over  the  Simplon  to  Lago  Maggiore,  visited  Turin 
to  get  our  passports  viseed  for  Austria,  through  Milan, 
Como,  Lugano,  back  to  Geneva,  and  thence  through  Paris 
and  Boulogne  home.  A  poetical  record  of  the  tour  is  con- 
tained in  nine  sonnets,  Ixii. — Ixx.  ("  Poems,"  p.  187)  with  a 
lyrical  poem,  "  On  a  Cyclamen,"  p.  265. 

An  entry  in  a  common-place  book  shows  that  he  was 
inspired  by  the  country  now  visited,  with  the  first  idea  of  a 
poem,  which  he  did  not  complete  till  thirty-two  years 
afterwards,  when  he  published  "  The  Children  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer."  He  now  writes  : — ''  An  idea  has  struck  me,  which 
it  may  be  as  well  to  record,  if  only  to  be  relinquished  again. 
It  is  to  write  a  poem,  to  be  called  Visions  [or  records]  of 
Time,  connected  perhaps  with  another  to  be  called  Visions 
of  Eternity :  — 

"  Scene. — The  summit  of  Mont  Blanc.  Time,  before 
sunset.  The  Hierarch  of  Europe.  The  inferior  angels  bend- 
ing, as  in  prayer. 

"  Chorus — 0  Thou  Eternal  One  ! 

Aroiind  whose  central  throne 

This  universe  is  poised  in  balance  high. 

"Hierarch — Onr  Father  who  hast  made  the  night  and  day, 
Thyself  transcending  all  that  Thou  hast  made, 
By  Thy  high  pleasure  this  our  state  we  keep, 
To  watch  and  bless  Thy  earth,"  &c. 

This  same  strain  goes  on  for  more  than  100  lines,  repro- 
duced in  1869  in  the  illustrated  book  mentioned  above. 

We  give  a  few  extracts  from  his  letters  at  this  period. 
The  first  before  starting,  June  3  : — 

To  HIS  Father. 
''  1  look  forward  with  much  interest  to  witnessing  the 
Romish  religion ;  its  acting  and  flourishing  system  in  Bel- 
gium ;  its  subsistence  under  toleration  in  Prussia ;  its  very 


1837]  First  Tour  oji  the  Continent.  1 1 1 

opposite  extreme  of  anti- decoration  and  will-worship  in 
Switzerland,  and  its  results  in  the  spread  of  spiritual  indif- 
ference in  France. 

"  Namur,  June  16. — We  came  here  in  perfect  safety  by 
Brussels,  where  we  had  a  most  splendid  dinner  at  two  francs 
each.  Waterloo  we  saw,  and  were  pestered  to  buy  relics. 
At  Bruges  the  buildings  in  decaying  grandeur  looked  like 
some  old  palaces.  The  cathedral  at  Antwerp  is  very 
fine. 

"July  27. — Our  excursion  to  the  Oberland  of  Berne  has 
given  us  exceeding  pleasure.  At  Thun  we  went  across  the 
lake  to  see  Unterlaken,  then  in  a  carriage  to  Grindelwald, 
where  we  saw  the  magnificent  glacier,  and  slept  with  the 
Wetterhorn  just  over  our  bedroom  window.  At  six  a.m.  one 
morning,  we  mounted  our  horses  and  went  over  the  Wengern 
Alp  to  Lauterbrunnen.  This  was  most  beautiful ;  the  ground 
as  we  ascended  was  covered  with  Alpine  flowers.  At  Lauter- 
brunnen we  saw  the  Staubbach,  and  next  morning  went  up 
the  Lake  of  Brieuz  to  see  the  Giessbach.  We  have  been 
to  Chamounix,  and  by  the  Tete  Noire  to  Martigny,  thence 
through  the  Valais,  by  Sion  and  Brigue,  over  the  Simplon 
to  Baveno,  where  we  slept.  Our  first  evening  in  Italy  was 
most  delightful ;  the  sky  and  the  moon,  and  the  quiet,  clear 
smoothness  of  Lago  Maggiore  were  to  me  like  some  strange 
place  one  dreams  of  rather  than  reality.  Next  day  we  saw 
the  Borromean  Isles,  and  crossed  to  Luvino,  intending  to  go 
to  Milan,  but  our  passport  had  not  been  properly  viseed,  so 
we  were  obliged  to  go  with  it  to  Turin,  for  this  purpose  we 
recrossed  the  Lake  to  Arena.  Saw  the  statue  of  St.  Carlo 
Borromeo,  and  all  night  to  Turin;  a  fine  place. 

"  This  unfrequented  journey  showed  us  the  utmost  of 
Italian  dirt  and  discomfort ;  but  we  saw  two  most  glorious 
views  of  the  whole  range  of  the  Alps  at  sunrise.  We  were 
beyond  measure  delighted  with  the  cathedral  of  Milan  ;  from 
thence  we  came  by  Como,  Menagio,  Porlezza,  and  on  to 
Luvino  and  Baveno,  and  over  the  Simplon  by  Sion,  Vevay 
(saw  the  Castle  of  Chillon),  and  by  steamer  to  Geneva.  To- 
morrow we  are  off  for  Paris,  three  days  there,  and  then, 


112  Life  of  Dean  A  If  ord.  [Chap.  III. 

please  God^  Boulogne  and  London.  We  have  both  enjoyed 
ourselves  much  and  walked  a  great  deal." 

"We  returned  to  England  much  delighted  with  our  first 
experience  of  foreign  lands.  After  a  short  visit  to  Heale, 
we  settled  again  at  Wymeswold. 

During  our  absence  from  England,  his  father's  household 
at  Ampton  was  gladdened  by  the  birth  of  a  son,  Bradley 
Hurt  Alford.  A  change  took  place  in  our  own  household  by 
the  departure  of  four  of  his  pupils  for  Cambridge,  Messrs. 
Spring  Eice,  Courtney,  Goulburn,  and  Rose,  and  the  arrival 
of  Messrs.  Heathcoat,  Dickinson,  Bastard,  and  Sitwell.  Mr. 
Law  had  left,  and  for  a  short  time  Mr.  Peyton  was  his 
pupil.  He  now  began  to  prepare  a  new  edition  of  the  works 
of  Dr.  Donne,  which  he  had  undertaken  at  the  request  of 
Mr.  Parker,  of  Cambridge,  the  publisher.  It  was  published 
in  1838,  in  six  volumes,  the  first  of  which  contained  a  short 
biographical  preface. 

In  Januaiy,  1 838,  he  visited  his  father  at  Ampton  ;  and 
his  Sonnet  lix.  ("  Poems,''  p.  185,)  gives  a  pleasing  repre- 
sentation of  the  feelings  which  the  sight  of  the  place 
renewed  in  him.  A  record  of  this  journey  is  contained 
in  his  journal. 

Just  after  his  return  from  Ampton  he  was  surprised  by 
receiving  a  letter  from  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  Dr.  Kaye, 
whose  diocese  then  included  Wymeswold.  The  Bishop  wrote 
to  tell  him  that  it  was  in  contemplation  to  colonize  and 
civilize  New  Zealand,  and  that  a  part  of  the  plan  was  the 
selection  of  a  Bishop,  and  asked  to  be  informed,  whether  in 
the  event  of  the  appointment  being  offered,  he  would  be 
disposed  to  accept  it.  A  letter  which  he  wrote  to  his 
father  on  the  subject,  shows  what  was  his  answer  to  the 
Bishop. 

''  Of  course,  as  will  have  already  occurred  to  you,  my  age* 
not  being  sufiicient  for  the  ofiico,  has  enabled  me  to  return  a 
decisive  answer  as  far  as  that  is  concerned,  and  has  spared 
me  a  long  and  painful  inquiry. 


•*  The  canonical  age  for  a  bishop  is  "  full  thirty  years,"  and  Henry  Alford 
had  not  at  this  time  completed  his  twenty-eighth  year. 


1838J  Birth  of  a  Daughter.  113 

''But  still  as  it  miglit  possibly  occur,  tliat  the  service  of 
tlie  future  bishop  miglit  not  be  required  for  two  or  three 
years_,  the  subject  may  be  opened  again.  I  can  only  lay  it 
before  Him  who  furthers  His  ends  by  His  own  means.  How 
surprised  I  am  at  this  mark  of  notice  and  confidence  from 
one  on  whom  I  have  no  claim  for  any  such,  and  with  whom 
I  never  held  any  but  official  communication.^^ 

This  proposal,  however,  was  not  again  renewed.  Bishop 
Selwyu,  as  is  well  known,  became  the  first  Bishop  of  New 
Zealand  in  the  year  1841.  A  similar  overture  was  made  to 
him  seven  years  afterwards  when  the  Diocese  of  Frederic- 
ton  was  about  to  be  created. 

In  the  spring  of  1838,  the  birth  of  a  second  daughter 
brought  an  additional  happiness  to  the  home  at  Wymeswold. 
Writing  in  June  to  her  godfather,  the  Eev.  E.  T.  Vaughan, 
(now  Yicar  of  Harpenden,  Herts,)  he  refers  to  a  want  which 
he  often  felt.  "  You  must  take  an  early  opportunity  to  come 
over  and  see  your  little  godchild,  and  us  also ;  for  I  assure 
you  we  are  so  wearied  by  the  utter  dearth  of  congenial 
society  in  this  place,  that  the  sight  of  a  dear  friend  is  to  us 
a  strange  and  refreshing  sight." 

At  Midsummer,  two  of  his  pupils  (Lord  Spencer  Compton 
and  Mr.  Sitwell)  left  us. 

We  went,  now  four  in  number,  for  a  three  weeks'  tour  in 
the  North.  We  spent  at  York  the  day  (June  28,  1838)  on 
which  Queen  Victoria  was  crowned ;  then  to  Knaresborough 
and  Skipton  by  Bolton  Abbey,  seeing  Walham  Cave  and 
Gordale  Scar ;  to  Kirby  Lonsdale  and  Kendal,  and  thence 
to  the  Lakes.  In  returning,  we  spent  two  days  at  Maryport 
and  came  by  Halifax  and  Sheffield.  The  Sonnets  numbered 
Iv. — Iviii.  C' Poems,"  page  183)  were  written  in  this  tour. 

It  should  also  be  recorded  that  whilst  spending  a  day  or 
two  at  Windermere  we  walked  to  Kydal  Mount,  to  call  on 
William  Wordsworth.  Most  unfortunately  he  was  not  at 
home*,  having  only  some  half-hour  previously  left  by  coach 
for   Keswick  to  call  on   Southey.      Mrs.  Wordsworth  was 


*  See  page  116. 


114  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

most  kind  to  us^  and  showed  us  over  the  grounds.  A  short 
poem  entitled,  ''Rydal  Mount,  June,  1838/'  refers  to  this 
visit.     ("Poems/'  page  136.) 

The  autumn  of  1838  found  him  with  only  three  pupils, 
Messrs.  Dickinson,  Bastard,  and  Wynne.  The  Infant  School- 
room at  Wymeswold  was  begun  in  earnest,  and  was  com- 
pleted in  February,  1839.  It  turned  out  to  be  a  more  costly 
work  than  was  at  first  expected ;  and  in  order  to  clear  it 
from  debt,  a  bazaar  on  a  large  scale  was  held  at  Wymeswold 
in  the  autumn  of  1840. 

He  says  in  his  journal : — 

"  Oct.  7. — I  must  record  my  thankfulness  at  having  been 
preserved  to  enter  my  twenty-ninth  year. 

"  My  domestic  comforts  have  been  yearly  increasing. 
Three  nets  are  woven  round  my  heart,  and  in  all  these  I  am 
indeed  happy.  My  health  is  on  the  whole  good,  my  only 
ailment  of  any  consequence  being  an  unpleasant  faintness 
during  my  Sunday  morning's  duty.  I  am  enabled  to  do 
three  services  on  the  Sunday  without  serious  inconvenience, 
the  more  bodily  exercise  I  take  the  better  I  find  myself. 

"  Of  my  intellectual  state  I  fear  I  have  not  much  to  say 
that  is  favourable.  I  feel  the  total  want  of  any  intellectual 
society,  or  of  stimulus  to  thought ;  this  affects  me  consider- 
ably. Books  are  poor  substitutes  for  the  stir  of  thought  and 
discussion  to  which  I  had  formerly  been  accustomed.  But 
amidst  this  I  feel  that  the  faculty  itself  is  not  impaired.  I 
can  grasp  a  subject  when  under  a  certain  degree  of  intel- 
lectual excitement,  and  enter  into  it  as  deeply  as  ever." 

In  the  Christmas  of  1838-9  we  went  for  a  week  or  two  to 
visit  his  father  at  Aston  Sandford  Rectory,  whither  he  had 
removed  from  Ampton.  The  lyrical  Poem,  "  The  Dead,"  and 
Sonnet  Ixxxvi.  were  now  written  ("Poems,"  pp.  243.  199). 

At  the  beginning  of  1839  Henry  Alford  acceded  to  a 
request  of  Mr.  Dearden,  Nottingham,  bookseller,  and  un- 
dertook to  edit  a  monthly  magazine,  "Dearden's  Mis- 
cellany," from  January  1839  to  June  1840.  It  occupied 
many  of  his  spare  moments  and  was  the  cause  of  his 
making  frequent  journeys  to  Nottingham;    this,  however. 


1839]  Lettei^  of  W.  Wordsworth.  115 

was  a  healthful  and  pleasing  variety  from  the  routine  of 
his  home-life.  His  principal  contributions  to  '^Dearden^s 
Miscellany  ^'  were  a  series  of  articles  entitled  "  Chapters 
on  Poetry  and  Poets."  The  first  division  of  these  articles, 
called  "  The  Poets  of  Ancient  Greece,"  was  afterwards 
published  in  a  separate  volume,  and  dedicated  to  his  former 
schoolmaster,  Mr.  Allen,  of  Ilminster.  He  also  published 
in  "  Dearden "  for  the  first  time  "  Muchelnay  Abbey," 
and  many  of  the  Poems  which  were  subsequently  included 
in  the  third  edition  of  his  Poems;  and  he  wrote  articles 
in  the  Miscellany  on  three  of  our  modern  poets — Cowper, 
Wordsworth,  and  Byron. 

It  was  in  acknowledgment  of  one  of  these  articles,  which 
he  sent  to  William  Wordsworth,  that  he  received  the  fol- 
lowing letter  from  the  poet : — 

"  Amhleside,  Feb.  21,  1840. 

"  My  deae  Sir, — Pray  excuse  my  having  been  some  little 
time  in  your  debt.  I  could  plead  many  things  in  extenua- 
tion, the  chief  that  old  one  of  the  state  of  my  eyes,  which 
never  leaves  me  at  liberty  either  to  read  or  write  a  tenth 
part  as  much  as  I  could  wish,  and  as  otherwise  I  ought 
to  do. 

"  It  cannot  but  be  highly  gratifying  to  me  to  learn  that 
my  wi'itings  are  prized  so  highly  by  a  poet  and  critic  of 
your  powers.  The  essay  upon  them  which  you  have  so 
kindly  sent  me  seems  well  qualified  to  promote  your  views 
in  writing  it.  I  was  particularly  pleased  with  your  dis- 
tinction between  religion  in  poetry  and  versified  religion. 

"  For  my  own  part,  I  have  been  averse  to  frequent 
mention  of  the  mysteries  of  Christian  faith;  not  from  a 
want  of  a  due  sense  of  their  momentous  nature,  but  the 
contrary. 

"  I  felt  it  far  too  deeply  to  venture  on  handling  the 
subject  as  familiarly  as  many  scruple  not  to  do.  I  am  far 
from  blaming  them,  but  let  them  not  blame  me,  nor  turn 
from  my  companionship  on  that  account. 

"  Besides  general  reasons  for  difiidence  in  treating  sub- 
jects of  Holy  Writ,  I  have  some  especial   ones.     I   might 
I  2 


1 16  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

err  in  points  of  faith,  and  I  should  not  deem  my  mistakes 
less  to  be  deprecated  because  they  were  expressed  in  metre. 
Even  Milton,  in  my  humble  judgment,  has  erred,  and  griev- 
ously ;  and  what  poet  could  hope  to  atone  for  his  mis- 
apprehensions in  the  way  in  which  that  mighty  mind  has 
done  ?  I  am  not  at  all  desirous  that  any  one  should  write 
an  elaborate  critique  on  my  Poems.  There  is  no  call  for 
it.  If  they  be  from  above,  they  will  do  their  own  work 
in  course  of  time;  if  not,  they  will  perish  as  they  ought. 
But  scarcely  a  week  passes  in  which  I  do  not  receive 
grateful  acknowledgments  of  the  good  they  have  done  to 
the  minds  of  the  several  writers. 

"  They  speak  of  the  relief  they  have  received  from  them 
under  affliction  and  in  grief,  and  of  the  calmness  and  eleva- 
tion of  spirit  which  the  Poems  either  give  or  assist  them 
in  attaining.  As  these  benefits  are  not  without  a  traceable 
bearing  upon  the  good  of  the  immortal  soul,  the  sooner 
perhaps  they  are  pointed  out  and  illustrated  in  a  work  like 
yours  the  better.  Pray  excuse  my  talking  so  much  about 
myself,  your  letter  and  critique  called  me  to  the  subject. 
But  I  assure  you  it  would  have  been  more  grateful  to  me 
to  acknowledge  the  debt  we  owe  you  in  this  house,  where 
we  have  read  your  Poems  with  no  common  pleasure.  Your 
^'  Abbot  of  Munchelnaye  '^  also  makes  me  curious  to  hear 
more  of  him. 

"  But  I  must  conclude.  I  am  truly  sorry  to  have  missed 
you  when  you  and  Mrs.  Alford  called  at  Eydal.  Mrs. 
Wordsworth  unites  with  me  in  kind  regards  to  you  both, 
and  believe  me,  my  dear  sir, 

"  Faithfully  yours, 

"  William  Woedswoeth.-'^ 

In  the  summer  of  ]  839,  we  visited  Heale;  and  from  thence 

made  a  tour  round  Devonshire  and  part  of  Cornwall,  in  the 

course  of  which  Sonnet  Ixxxv.  ("  Poems,"  p.  199)  was  written. 

The  following  reflections  occur  in  his  journal,  dated 

''  Aug.  7. — Physical  employment  has  of  late  usurped  too 


1839]  IVood-carviftg,  117 

mucli  with  me  the  place  of  mental^  which  must  not  be.  My 
garden  and  greenhouse  have  occupied  much  of  my  time,  to 
the  benefit  certainly  of  my  health,  but  not  of  my  intellectual 
well-being.  I  begin  to  feel  a  want  of  resource  which  is  the 
sure  accompaniment  of  mental  idleness. 

"  We  are  just  returned  from  a  tour  round  Devonshire  and 
part  of  Cornwall,  and  a  visit  to  Charmouth  and  Heale,  which 
we  have  enjoyed  as  far  as  bad  weather  would  allow;  having 
resumed  my  home-duties,  I  must  begin  some  course  of  study 
too  long  neglected.  In  my  own  library  are  many  books 
which  I  have  never  sufficiently  looked  into. 

"  Besides  all  this  and  much  more,  German  must  be  taken 
up  again,  and  persevered  in  thoroughly.  It  strikes  me  that 
the  best  study  for  it  will  be  to  read  chapters  in  the  Polyglot 
Bible,  marking  down  all  the  words  I  do  not  know. 

"  Will  the  '  School  of  the  Heart '  do  to  make  into  a  larger 
poem,  such  as  Book  I.  'Love /  Book  II.  ' Truth  -,'  Book  III. 
*  Beauty ; '  keeping  Book  I.  as  at  present,  writing  Book  II. 
now,  and  keeping  Book  III.  for  hereafter  ?  Of  this  I  have 
thought  much ;  also  of  a  Poem  on  the  truth  of  things,  to  be 
called  '  The  Mask.^  " 

The  vacation  which  followed  Christmas,  1839,  was  spent 
at  Wymeswold.  The  new  year  was  remarkable  for  many 
parochial  gatherings.  There  was  a  festive  opening  of  the 
Infant  School.  There  was  a  presentation  from  the  parish- 
ioners of  a  piece  of  plate  to  the  vicar;  and  on  the  other  hand, 
the  vicar  placed  in  the  church  a  new  organ,  the  wooden  front 
of  which  had  been  carved  not  unskilfully  by  his  own  hand. 
It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  when  the  church  was  placed  in 
1844  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  A.  W.  Pugin,  for  restoration,  this 
piece  of  carving  was  of  course  discarded.  It  lay  in  disgrace 
for  several  years  in  a  workshop.  On  our  removal  to  the 
Deanery,  Canterbury,  where  a  lofty  room  had  to  be  fur- 
nished for  the  occasional  reception  of  an  honoured  guest, 
this  despised  specimen  of  handicraft  was  used  for  fourteen 
years  as  a  suitable  decoration  for  a  bedstead. 

Perhaps  the  best  record  of  many  of  his  thoughts  and 
feelings    at    this    time  is  to  be    found   in  various    articles 


ii8  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  III. 

wMcli  lie  wrote  in  "  Dearden's  Miscellany ;"  a  book  which 
must  be  unknown  to  most  of  the  readers  of  this  volume. 
His  characteristic  delight  in  the  beauties  of  nature,  the 
interest  with  which  he  watched  the  political  events  of  the 
time,  and  his  sympathy  even  at  this  early  period  with  those 
who  cared  for  the  education  of  the  people,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  English  Version  of  the  Bible,  are  shown  in  the 
following  extracts : — 

Septemher  and  October. 

"With  no  months  have  we  sweeter  recollections  bound  up 
than  with  September  and  October.  Then  come  those  rich 
mellow  days,  when  the  morning  lawns  are  bathed  in  lavish 
dew,  and  the  far-stretching  fields  are  white  with  the  gossa- 
mer ;  when  the  sportman^s  gun  cracks  sharp  over  the  level 
ground  or  is  repeated  from  the  woods ;  when  you  may  bask 
in  the  full  hot  sun,  and  in  an  instant  taste  the  coming  winter 
in  the  icy  cool  of  the  nearest  shade ;  when  those  grand  and 
heavenly  colours  which  autumn  only  knows,  descend  upon 
our  trees,  so  that  our  gardens  and  hedgerows  are  one  blaze 
of  purple  and  gold ;  and  when  the  gorgeous  sunset  overtakes 
us  in  our  ramble,  prelude  to  the  now  lengthening  and  wel- 
come evening,  beginning  to  be  gladdened  by  the  cheerful 
and  flickering  fire.  For  occasional  moments  of  intense  exist- 
ence, when  being  is  condensed  into  pleasure — for  sudden 
scent  of  violet,  or  first  outbreak  of  unlocked  for  melody — 
spring  may  bear  the  palm ;  summer  with  its  long  rambles, 
and  its  hours  of  unfailing  daylight  may  hoard  up  treasures 
which  our  winter  fancies  may  feed  on  ;  but  for  actual  enjoy- 
ment, constant  quiet,  and  healing  to  the  soul,  commend  us  to 
autumn.  And  not  only  do  the  sunny  and  gladsome  days  of 
this  time  delight  us ;  but  there  is  that  in  the  autumn  storm, 
loud  and  blustering  though  ifc  be,  which  especially  suits  our 
habits  of  tliought.  A  storm  in  spring,  what  disappointment 
and  contrariety  does  it  bring  with  it — the  fresh  bud  bitten 
or  snapped — the  new  leaves  blackened — the  hopes  of  nature 
defeated ;  but  a  storm  in  autumn  brings  no  disappointment — 
the  fading  flowers  bow  their  heads  and  yield ;  their  time  is 


1839]  ''  Dear  dens  Miscellany!'  119 

come,  the  trees  send  to  strew  the  path  of  the  fierce  reveller 
their  myriads  of  willing  leaves.  Nature  bears  her  part  in 
the  uproar,  and  stern  winter  brings  up  his  tempest  stores 
for  more  and  ruder  havock.  Eeader,  the  spring  is  to  sing 
and  read  of;  the  summer  to  long  for,  and  long  for,  and 
sometimes  it  comes ;  the  winter  to  invent  employments  for, 
and  love  them  when  invented;  but,  depend  upon  it,  the 
autumn  is  the  season  really  to  enjoy/' 

Autumn  Night. 
"We  have  surely  experienced  the  most  extraordinary  season 
on  record.  Still  do  the  flaunting  dahlias  toss  their  heads 
over  our  garden  walls,  and  lobelias,  geraniums,  and  myrtles 
are  yet  in  lingering  bloom.  When  will  that  mighty  potentate 
Jack  Frost  sweep  away  these  sickly  remains  of  the  summer, 
and  bring  us  the  season's  work  at  the  season's  time  ?  The 
nights,  when  we  should  have  had  the  heavens  full  of  meteors, 
prove  failures.  But  why  are  we  murmuring,  who  are 
writing  under  the  brightest  moon  which  our  land  of  mists 
ever  beheld  ?  We  might,  indeed,  outnight  Jessica  herself 
in  singing  of  'such  a  night  as  this.'  Never  saw  we 
'  heaven's  queen '  so  purely  dazzling  bright.  The  smallest 
print  is  clear  and  distinct  as  at  noon-day.  The  scattered 
and  sere  leaves  on  yon  bank  of  elms  are  each  one  brought 
out  into  strong  relief  from  the  dark  stems  behind.  Not  a 
star  is  visible,  though  the  heavens  are  clear.  Such  a  moon 
we  remember  when  journeying  a  long  night  °  through  the 
level  rice-grounds  in  the  North  of  Italy,  with  its  long  line 
of  glitter  reflected  from  their  inundated  surface,  and  the 
line  of  unearthly  snow-clad  Alps  stretching  away  into  dim 
vastness  beneath  the  hoary  light;  but  in  England  never 
before.  Yet  what  does  all  this  avail  with  a  falling  barometer, 
and  the  prospect  ever  dismal  of  'a  wet  day  to-morrow'?" 

i^mew;o/ 1829—1839. 
"  We  have  past  another  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century — 


6  See  page  111. 


I20  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  III. 

an  eventful  one  at  least.  Its  first  year  was  marked  by 
mourning  in  the  palaces  of  England.  Hardly  had  it 
passed  before  the  wild  cry  of  liberty  sounded  across  our 
Channel^  and  the  Bourbons  fell  from  the  throne  of  France, 
Shortly  subsequent  was  the  great  change  in  the  pre- 
dominance of  political  parties  in  England^  pregnant  itself 
with  changes  still  greater  :  shortly  followed  by  transient 
reigns  of  terror  in  Nottingham  and  in  Bristol,  and 
resulting  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  plan  of  Parlia- 
mentary Reform,  so  long  agitated  by  its  framers.  As  if  in 
answer  to  the  tocsin  of  reform,  the  flames  of  destruction 
broke  out  in  our  ancient  halls  of  council,  and  swept  away 
the  relics  of  ages.  We  are  at  least  to  have  a  new  house 
for  our  new  Parliament.  Soon  the  shades  gather  round 
another  of  our  line  of  kings,  but  not  before,  by  the  merciful 
care  of  Providence,  we  were  secured,  in  our  time  of  stir 
and  change,  from  the  coils  and  intrigues  of  an  interregnum 
arising  from  the  minority  of  the  heiress.  We  had  but 
lately  been  rejoicing  for  her  arrival  at  legal  maturity,  when 
our  beloved  princess  was  summoned  to  wear  the  crown, 
and  she  who  was  the  darling  of  our  hopes  became  the 
Queen  of  our  realms.  Not  unaccompanied  has  this  last 
change  been  by  other  like  events  elsewhere.  Haughty 
Austria  has  bowed  the  head  in  death ;  the  fading  lustre  of 
Turkey  has  lost  its  one  remaining  bright  star,  and  seems 
nearing  its  western  obscurity.  To  the  man  of  study  the 
signs  of  the  time  are  not  unapparent.  Intercourse  is 
facilitated,  both  by  locomotion  and  correspondence.  Never 
at  any  time  were  the  components  of  the  human  race  brought 
into  such  close  connexion.  Many  are  running  to  and  fro, 
and  knowledge  is  being  increased.  Returning  to  our 
domestic  concerns,  let  us  express  a  fervent  hope  that  another 
such  period  may  not  pass  without  education  truly  national 
being  established  by  the  State,  and  working  for  good  among 
the  English  people.  Prussia  is  before  us ;  Switzerland  is 
before  us ;  France  is  before  us ;  there  is  no  record  of  any 
people  on  earth  so  highly  civilized,  so  abounding  in  arts 
a.nd   comforts,    and  so  grossly,   generally   ignorant   as   the 


I  S3  9]  "  Dear  dens  Miscellany. "  121 

English.  One  thing  seems  to  us  most  clear,  that  before 
another  ten  years  have  past,  we  shall  be  reaping,  either  the 
benefits  of  national  education,  or  the  consequences  of  the 
want  of  it." 

^dbXicaiion. 
"  While  the  Education  question  is  pending,  we  would  ex- 
press our  opinion,  in  hopes  that  some  may  be  induced  to 
take  it  up  and  forward  it ;  that  some  well  organized  system 
of  inspection  would  be,  at  the  present  time,  the  fairest  and 
most  feasible  way  of  meeting  the  difficulties  which  beset 
the  subject.  Government  should  not  so  much  establish, 
as  endeavour  to  right  what  is  established.  In  the  present 
state  of  toleration  and  liberty,  no  general  system  will  ever 
succeed;  but  it  strikes  us  that  much  good  might  be  effected 
by  School  Commissioners  of  each  denomination,  who  might 
inspect,  report,  recommend  grants,  or  their  discontinuance, 
as  in  each  case  should  seem  fit.  If  these  were  to  be  the 
agents  of  a  Central  Board  fairly  chosen,  and  to  be  the 
ultimate  referees  in  each  case,  we  think  the  system  might 
be  worked — and  we  see  not  how  else.^' 

Revision. 
"  It  is  necessary  that  something  should  be  done  to  rectify 
the  errors  in  our  English  Version  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  That 
those  errors  are  few  we  are  ready  and  thankful  to  acknow- 
ledge ;  but  that  there  are  some  of  great  importance,  even 
so  great  as  to  destroy  to  English  readers  the  sense  of  the 
passage,  every  Greek  scholar  will  acknowledge.  And  if  so, 
why  should  they  not  be  altered  by  authority  ?  We  would 
not  go  the  length  of  altering  antiquated,  or  even  coarse 
expressions ; — let  the  venerable  aspect  of  antiquity,  even 
with  its  rust  and  unseemliness,  continue  to  hang  about  the 
thing  of  all  others  which  most  we  honour ;  but  we  would 
say,  let  all  absolute  misapprehensions  and  blunders  of  the 
translation  be  corrected  fearlessly  and  at  once." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

1840-1847. 

Visitation  Sermon— Correspondence  with  Miss  E.  Mott — 
Appointed  Hulsean  Lecturer  at  Cambridge,  and  Examiner 
IN  Logic  in  the  University  of  London — Tour  in  France — 
Death  of  Youngest  Son— New  Vicarage  built— Restora- 
tion OF  Wymeswold  Church  begun— National  School-room 
BUILT — Compiles  a  larger  Hymn  Book  for  Wymeswold,  and 
publishes  a  Volume  of  Sermons — Visits  Bonn. 

IN  tliis  spring  his  poem  on  tlie  Marriage  of  Queen  Victoria 
(Feb.  10, 1840)  was  written;  and  later  in  the  year  three 
other  poems,  Sonnet  Ixxviii.,  "  The  National  Prayer/^  and 
'^The  Dirge  of  the  Passing  Year,"  were  composed  ("Poems," 
pp.  195,  244,  24G) .  The  7th  of  May  was  the  birth-day  of  his 
third  child  and  first  son,  who  was  christened  with  the 
name  of  Ambrose. 

In  the  summer  of  1840  he  was  called  upon  to  preach  the 
sermon  at  Melton  Mowbray,  at  the  primary  Visitation  of  Dr. 
Davys,  Bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  text  was  from  Ezekiel 
xxxiii.  7,  and  his  subject  "  The  Clergy  watchmen  unto  the 
people.'^  The  following  extracts  will  show  that  he  held  thus 
early  the  same  views,  which  he  frequently  stated  in  later 
years,  regarding  the  position  of  a  clergyman  among  his  own 
parishioners  generally,  and  especially  towards  such  of  them 
as  do  not  conform  to  the  Church  : — 

"  Having  fallen  on  the  predicted  times  when  '  men  shall 
heap  teachers  unto  themselves,'  our  own  sacred  appointment  is 
in  danger  of  being  confounded  with  that  of  those  who  are 
self-elected  or  chosen  by  their  congregations  to  the  minis- 


1S40]  CImixh  and  Dissent.  123 

terial  duties.     Now,  holding  as  we  do,  that  no  doctrine  is 
to  be  insisted  on  as  necessaiy  to  salvation,  which  may  not  be 
clearly  proved  by  the  Word  of  Godj  and  constituting  our 
ministers  the ''  exponents  of    doctrine,  subject  to  this  test, 
we  must  yet  remember  that  we  are  widely  distinguished 
from   our    Dissenting   fellow-countrymen   in   believing  the 
ministerial  appointment  to  be  outwardly  and  visibly  not  of 
man,  but  of  God;    that  is,  entrusted  to  His  servants  the 
bishops,  who  are,  if  not  by  direct  ecclesiastical  lineage,  yet, 
which  is  more  important,  by  continuation  of  official  action, 
the  successors  of  those  to  whom  our  Lord  in  His  parting 
words    committed   the   power    of     ordination :     '  For    He 
breathed  on  them,  and  said.  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,' 
and  added  a  clause  empowering  them  to  dispense  the  same 
Spirit,  ^  As  My  Father  hath  sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you/ 
It  is  our  duty,  then,  to  stand  as  watchmen  against  this  error 
so  extensively  pervading  society,  to  vindicate  our  office  and 
mission,  and  those  Sacraments,  which,  by  virtue  of  it,  we  are 
empowered  to  administer.     While  we  adhere  in  all  unalter- 
able points  to  the  spirit  of  the  formularies  of  our  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer,  we  must  remember  that,  when  they  were  drawn 
up,  the  present  state  of  things  was  not  contemplated;  and 
that  therefore  (I  press  the  point  no  farther)  it  is  no  justifica- 
tion of  a  harsh,  intolerant  spirit,  to  maintain  that  it  is  in 
accordance  with  such  expressions  as  occur  on  the  subject  in 
those  formularies.     These  expressions  will  not  indeed  bear 
such  an  application,  the  present  case  not  being  then  supposed; 
and  had  our  Reformers  lived  among  the  various  Protestant 
bodies  now  existing  there  is  little  doubt  that  their  language 
would  have  been  that   of  the  Apostle,  '  Grace  be  with  all 
them  that  love  our   Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity.'     For 
this  portion  of  our  flock  are,  however  unreasonably,  opposed 
to  the  words  and  counsels  of  man,  and  given  to  think  slight- 
ingly of  what  they  conceive  to  be  human  appointments.     As 
from  God,  then,  let  us  speak  to  them  according  to  their  own 
acceptation  of  the  Word,  and  whether  they  will  hear  or  for- 
bear, testify  unto  them,  *■  Thus  saith  the  Lord.'      Our  posi- 
tion then  will  be  impregnable,  even  in  their  own  estimation. 


124  Life  of  Dean  Al/ord.  [Chap.  IV. 

Tliey  are  at  least  occasional  attendants  on  our  ministry,  and 
I  may  venture  to  say  that  by  our  strict  adherence  to  the  text 
and  tenor  of  Scripture  will  our  success  among  them  be  mea- 
sured. Above  all,  should  we  be  anxious  to  retain  our  hold 
upon  them  by  being  constant  comforters  in  their  hours  of  dis- 
tress, and  attendants  by  their  beds  of  sickness  and  death." 

It  was  in  this  year  that  he  began  a  correspondence  with 
a  lady,  which  must  be  noticed  at  some  length,  as  it  occupied 
no  inconsiderable  portion  of  his  time,  and  in  its  effect  was 
beneficial  not  only  to  herself,  but  also  to  his  household  and 
parish.  And  here  it  might  be  remarked  that  while  he  was 
very  far  from  desiring  to  be  referred  to  and  consulted  by 
strangers,  yet  whenever  a  genuine  case  of  perplexity  or  dis- 
tress, whether  of  a  religious  kind  or  not,  was  made  known  to 
him,  he  spared  no  time  or  pains  to  make  himself  thoroughly 
well  acquainted  with  its  difficulties,  and  his  advice  was  gene- 
rally marked  by  sound  judgment,  and  always  by  tender  con- 
sideration for  the  person  who  consulted  him.  Another,  and 
a  larger  class  of  persons,  more  particularly  in  later  years, 
sought  from  him  aid  of  a  different  kind;  and  if  to  the  former 
class  he  was  ready  to  give  counsel,  to  the  latter  he  was  still 
more  ready  with  pecuniary  help,  a  large  portion  of  which  was 
unknown,  even  to  those  who  were  nearest  to  him,  till  after 
his  death.  The  difficulties  which  caused  Miss  Eliza  Mott  to 
become  acquainted  with  him  in  1 840  were  entirely  of  a  reli- 
gious character.  She  was  brought  up  by  her  parents,  Avho 
lived  at  Loughborough,  as  a  Unitarian.  But  doubts  arose  in 
her  inquiring  mind  as  to  the  correctness  of  much  that  she 
had  been  taught.  Peculiar  circumstances  made  it  unadvisa- 
ble  that  she  should  seek  the  counsel  of  the  clergyman  of 
the  parish  in  which  she  lived. 

Curiosity  led  her  in  1839  to  be  present  at  the  visitation  of 
the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  when  the  whole  solemnity  and  parti- 
cularly the  Bishop^s  address  left  on  her  mind  a  favourable 
impression  of  the  teaching  of  the  Church.  Next  year,  having 
heard  some  report  of  the  sermons  of  the  Vicar  of  Wymes- 
wold,  she  took  the  opportunity  of  his  preaching  at  Lough- 
borough on  October  7  to  go  as  a  hearer.    His  sermon  (which 


1840]  Correspondence  with  Miss  E.  Mott.        125 

was  on  the  text  Jeremiah,  ix.  23^  and  is  included  in  a  volume 
of  sermons  published  in  1850)  had  the  effect  of  moving  her 
to  lay  her  case  before  him.  Several  letters  were  exchanged. 
His  answers  to  her  questions  tended  to  confirm  her  faith. 
He  directed  her  in  her  study  of  religious  books,  and  with 
the  assent  of  her  parents  baptized  her  in  the  spring  of  1841. 
She  was  remarkably  disinterested  and  unselfish,  and  nothing 
could  exceed  her  devotion  to  him  whom  she  regarded  as  her 
spiritual  father,  and  to  all  persons  beloved  by  or  connected 
with  him.  One  or  two  remarks  from  her  letters  to  him  will 
show  how  she  appreciated  him. 

From  Miss  Eliza  Mott. 

"  JVor.,  1840. 

"  This  correspondence  must  be  a  tax  to  you,  to  me  it  is 
indeed  a  treasure.  I  cannot  but  think  the  Lord  directed 
me  to  you ;  for  I  had  been  longing  for  an  adviser,  and  had 
almost  despaired  of  finding  one,  when  the  idea  came  into 
my  mind  of  applying  to  you.  Only  the  Lord  and  my  own 
soul  know,  how  often  you  have  been  made  to  me  a  visible 
token  and  reminder  of  His  mercy." 

On  one  of  his  birthdays,  she  writes  : — 

''  All  the  happiness,  and  all  the  good  that  birthday 
thoughts  can  bring,  I  wish  for  you,  dear  friend,  the 
strengthening  of  sorrow,  the  heightening  of  joy  :  for  well  I 
know  that  both  are  mingled  in  your  heart,  and  indeed  in 
every  Christian  soul  that  has  in  good  earnest  entered  upon 
the  battle-field  of  life,  and  advanced  any  distance  upon  its 
thorny  way.  You  know  how  sincerely  the  old  saying 
comes  from  me,  '  Many,  many  happy  returns  of  this  day  / 
happy  notwithstanding  all  the  trials  and  the  blights,  and 
the  seeming  griefs  of  our  mortal  state ;  yea,  happy  in  one 
sense  through  these  :  and  who  should  more  sincerely  desire 
all  this,  than  she  who  through  your  instrumentality  has  been 
placed  within  that  covenant,  and  upon  that  narrow  way, 
which  year  by  year  becomes  more  real,  more  delightful  to 
her  soul  ?  God  ever  bless  you,  my  beloved  friend  and  father 
in  Christ,  is  indeed  my  earnest  prayer." 


126  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [C h ap .  I V. 

The  following  extracts  are  selected  from  some  of  Lis 
numerous  letters  to  her  : — 

To  Miss  E.  Mott. 

"  WymeswoU,  Oct.  16,  1810. 

"  I  hasten  to  give  an  answer  to  your  letter,  knowing  that 
your  mind  will  be  relieved  by  it,  and  feeling  deeply  anxious 
that  you  should  obtain  the  spiritual  assistance  which  you 
need.  My  first  answer  can  however  be  only  prelimi- 
nary, as  there  are  difl&culties  in  the  course  which  you  pro- 
pose, of  which  perhaps  you  may  not  be  aware.  I  could  not 
consistently  with  the  uniform  understanding  among  the  clergy 
(and  which  I  think  is  most  desirable  to  uphold  except  in 
extreme  cases)  visit  you  as  a  clergyman,  without  the  know- 
ledge and  permission  of  the  minister  of  your  parish ;  nor  I 
think  if  this  difficulty  were  removed,  would  it  be  well  I  should, 
considering  all  circumstances.  The  course  left  open,  which 
with  God's  blessing  I  might  follow,  is  that  of  correspond- 
ence, which  I  think  might  be  more  effectual  than  personal 
intercourse ;  inasmuch  as  you  would  have  all  I  might  be  able 
to  say  on  record,  and  might  refer  to  it  again  if  you  wished. 
This  course  I  am  willing  to  adopt,  under  one  condition, 
which,  from  what  you  say  I  apprehend  would  not  be  a  diffi- 
cult one  to  fulfil,  namely  that  your  father  is  aware  of  the 
circumstances,  and  gives  his  approval.  I  cannot  but  rejoice 
that  you  have  been  led  to  see  the  truth,  and  sincerely  pray, 
that  should  any  correspondence  take  place  between  us,  you 
may  be  confirmed  and  established  in  the  faith." 

The  following  passages  are  in  answer  to  her  inquiries  re- 
specting, 1.  Baptism  by  Immersion;  2.  The  writings  of  Dr. 
Chauniug ;  3.  The  Mystery  of  the  Trinity  ;  4.  The  (so-called) 
ignorance  of  the  Son  (Mark  xiii.  32) ;  5.  The  alleged  in- 
ability of  some  persons  to  believe;  6.  The  inheritance  of  the 
earth  by  the  meek  (Matt.  v.  5). 

"  1.  Your  difficulty  about  immersion  in  baptism  being 
the  true  mode  of  administering  baptism  will,  I  think,  be 
removed  when  I  remind  you  of  two  things,  first  that  immer- 
sion is  the  way  prescribed  by  the  Church  of  England,  and 
that  any  one  may  claim  it  who  wishes ;  second,  that  we  have 


1840]         Correspo7ideiice  with  Miss  E.  Mott.         127 

evidence  of  the  use  of  sprinkling  even  in  the  Apostolic  age^ 
and  the  word  '  baptize  ^  itself  fairly  translated  according  to 
the  usage  of  the  Greek  language  includes  the  meaning  of 
aspersing  or  sprinkling.  When  St.  Peter  (Acts  x.)  was  with 
Cornelius  and  his  party,  he  said,  '  Can  any  man  forbid  water 
that  these  should  be  baptized  V  and  clearly  implied  that  the 
water  was  to  be  brought  in,  or  administered,  and  not  the 
converts  taken  to  the  water.  Again,  he  seems  to  allude  to 
baptism  when  he  speaks  of  obedience  and  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  (1  Peter  i.  2).  But  this  is  so  trivial  a 
matter  that  the  minutest  balance  of  usage  on  the  part  of 
Christ's  Church,  one  way  or  the  other,  would  suffice  to  turn 
me  either  way.  At  Milan  where  they  retain  many  customs 
from  St.  Ambrose's  time,  not  common  to  the  rest  of  the 
Eoman  Catholic  Church,  they  immerse  three  times,  thus, 
'  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father  (1),  and  of  the 
Son  (2),  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  (3).' '' 

"2.  I  have  no  doubt  the  clever  writings  of  Dr.  Channing 
would  stagger  your  convictions,  but  you  should  remember, 
that  you  and  he  do  not  start  from  the  same  point,  and  there- 
fore how  much  eloquence  soever  he  may  expend  on  his 
argument,  it  does  not  touch  yours.  He  starts  on  the  suppo- 
sition that  human  nature  can  renew  itself ;  you  on  the  fact, 
that  human  natui-e  is  lost  and  helpless.  He  sees  no  divine 
interference  necessary,  you  feel  that  without  it  none  could 
be  saved.  He  acknowledges  not  the  ruin  brought  in  by 
the  first  Adam,  and  therefore  cannot  have  any  idea  of  the 
life  and  purity  introduced  into  our  nature,  by  the  glorious 
indwelling  of  the  second — even  the  eternal  Son  of  God.  He 
cannot  interpret  the  Bible  on  his  hypothesis,  and  therefore 
is  obliged  to  cut  and  carve  it  to  his  liking,  pronouncing  some 
part  spurious,  and  giving  proportions  of  authority  as  he 
pleases  to  its  portions ;  you,  on  the  contrary,  find  it  all  light 
and  consistency,  and  need  no  such  trimming  and  dubious 
process.  .  .  .  Our  foundations  entirely  differ ;  he  laying  human 
nature  as  his  foundation,  and  bringing  in  Jesus  Christ  how  he 
can.  I,  on  the  contrary,  believing  that  other  foundation  can  no 
man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  in 


128  Life  of  Deaii  Alford.  [Chap.  IV. 

Him  the  Father's  pleasure  is  to  gather  together  all  things 
in  heaven  and  earth.'' 

"3.  As  to  the  Trinity^  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  this  so 
formidable  word  means  no  more  than  Threeness,  and  that 
when  we  speak  of  the  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  we  mean  no 
more  than  the  eternal  coexistence  and  coequality  of  God  our 
Creator,  Redeemer,  and  Sanctifier ;  with  this  doctrine  you 
have  the  Atonement,  for  the  Atonement  is  the  eternal  decree 
of  God  the  Father,  in  His  free  and  unmerited  love^  declared 
and  acted  out  by  God  the  Son,  and  sealed  to  our  hearts  by 
the  indwelling  and  blessed  teaching  and  work  of  God  the 
Holy  Spirit.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  if  you  hold  the 
Atonement  you  must  hold  the  Trinity,  for  what  should  devise 
Redemption  but  Almighty  power,  what  should  effect  it  but 
Almighty  love,  what  should  teach  it  but  Almighty  wisdom  ? 
And  all  these  are  continued  in  a  wonderful  way  in  every  par- 
ticular of  our  Redemption,  strictly  one  and  the  same 
Almighty  God.  Pardon  me  if  I  endeavour  to  correct  your 
expression,  '  The  perplexity  of  the  Trinity,'  and  to  express 
my  own  conviction,  that  without  it,  all  is  perplexed  and  con- 
fused. What  we  argue  for  is  not  the  term,  but  the  great 
and  essential  thing  signified  by  it.  And  as  to  its  pointing 
to  heresy,  for  what  other  end  were  St.  John's  Gospel  and 
his  first  Epistle  written,  except  to  point  to  heresy  ?  "VVhy 
should  we  shrink  from  pointing  to  heresy  wherever  it  occurs, 
and  maintaining  the  great  bulwarks  of  our  faith,  and  stand 
against  it  on  all  occasions  ?  I  shall  be  ready  to  go  deeper 
into  this  subject  whenever  you  wish  to  renew  it." 

"  4.  There  is  no  difiiculty  in  Mark  xiii.  32,  for  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  His  mediatorial  office,  is 
even  now  in  His  glorified  state  inferior  to  the  Father ;  and 
that  He  shall  not  be  complete  till  all  His  people.  His  mem- 
bers. His  elect,  be  gathered  in,  when  this  His  mediatorial 
office  will  be  laid  down,  and  God  will  be  all  in  all.  His  inter- 
cessory work  in  heaven  implies  this,  for  why  intercede  except 
with  a  superior  ?  Apply  this  to  the  text  in  hand,  and  you 
will  at  once  see  that  the  difficulty  has  vanished,  as  Chi'ist  is 
the  anointed  Head  of  the  Church,  the  Mediator  between  God 


1840]         Correspondence  with  Miss  E.  Mott.          129 

and  man.  He  has  laid  aside  His  glory,  emptied  Himself  of 
it,  as  St.  Paul  says." 

"  5.  The  mistake  is,  they  set  about  to  conceive,  and  com- 
prehend, and  understand ;  whereas  no  such  exercises  of  the 
mind  are  required  of  us  in  receiving  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  the 
great  duty  of  a  humble  believer  is  to  believe.  We  believe  a 
thousand  things  every  day  of  our  own  lives  which  we  do  not 
understand.  Is  it  likely  that  the  spiritual  world  will  be 
simpler  and  less  difficult  than  the  natural  ?  If  I  have  reason 
to  believe  the  Bible  comes  from  God,  then  what  the  Bible 
says,  I  believe,  though  my  poor  contemptible  understanding 
should  not  be  able  to  pierce  any  distance  into  the  darkness  in 
which  God's  ways  are  enwrapt  to  us  mortals.  And  I  do  find 
and  do  believe  that  the  resurrection  of  the  body  (of  what  else 
can  there  be  a  resurrection  ?  the  soul  never  goes  into  the 
grave)  is  and  was  the  great  doctrine  which  Christ  rose  to 
prove,  which  the  Apostles  preached,  and  which  we  believe  in 
common  with  God's  holy  Catholic  Church  for  1800  years, 
every  where,  and  at  all  times." 

"  6.  Do  they  not  ?  Has  the  proud,  selfish,  illiberal  man 
any  real  enjoyment  of  God's  blessings,  whatever  he  may  have? 
Do  they  possess  any  charms  for  the  spirit  of  bondage  wherein 
the  slaves  of  this  world's  pride  are  bound  ?  Thus  far  for  the 
primary  sense  of  the  text.  But  I  believe  it  to  have  a  further 
and  more  glorious  sense,  viz.  that  the  meek,  humble,  despised 
servants  of  the  Lord  shall  possess  the  new  and  glorified  earth 
in  the  blessed  future  state  of  which  we  read  such  glowing 
descriptions  in  the  Book  of  God ;  the  inheritance  is  theirs. 
With  regard  to  your  own  spiritual  feelings  let  me  counsel 
you  not  to  expect  too  much.  You  will  have  a  struggle,  and 
the  more  light  breaks  in  on  you  the  better  you  will  see  your 
enemy ;  this  is  the  meaning  of  your  appearing  so  sinful  to 
yourself.  And  remember  that  it  is  not  only  the  prayer  of 
excitement  which  is  the  prayer  of  faith;  sometimes  the 
dullest  and  coldest  prayers  are  the  most  profitable,  and  the 
most  excitable  ones  bring  the  least  fruit.  As  to  speaking 
to  others,  yours  is  a  very  trying  situation,  and  you  are  yet, 
remember,  but  a  novice,  so  to  speak.     Remember  that  those 

E 


I30  Life  of  Demi  Aljord.  [Chap.  IV. 

are  not  the  deepest  streams  which  make  most  sound.  I,  per- 
haps, undervalue  too  much  what  usually  passes  for  religious 
talk  ;  there  is  seldom  reality  about  it ;  it  is  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  true  communion  of  saints.  Oh,  may  you  be  kept 
firm  and  unwavering  in  the  faith !  The  way  to  this  is  to  live 
upon  the  faith,  not  to  think  of  it  as  matter  of  question  and 
controversy,  not  to  regard  your  faith  as  '  views,^  as  one  often 
hears  it  called,  but  as  the  food  of  your  soul.  The  way  to  be- 
lieve the  Godhead  of  Christ  is  to  be  in  continual  receipt  of 
grace  from  Him  as  God.  The  way  to  believe  the  Personality 
and  Godhead  of  the  Spirit  is  to  be  under  the  teaching  of  the 
Spirit  day  by  day.  Oh,  may  you  be  thus  practically  assured, 
and  doubts  will  fall  powerless  on  you  !  I  have  tried  to  give 
you  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God. 
Add  to  it  the  shield  of  faith,  whereby  you  may  quench  all 
the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked,  and  for  an  helmet  the  hope  of 
salvation.  Read  that  glorious  description  of  our  Christian 
warfare  and  armour  in  Eph.  vi.  10 — 20,  and  let  your  heart 
glow  with  desire  to  be  full  and  complete  in  the  service  of 
Christ.  I  do  most  fervently  hope  and  pray  that  all  clouds 
and  uncertainties  may  be  cleared  off  from  your  spiritual  sight 
as  far  as  is  good  for  you.  You  cannot  too  often  remem- 
ber that  as  we  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight,  it  will  even  be 
good  for  us  to  be  in  doubt  about  some  things,  for  where 
there  is  no  uncertainty  there  is  no  trust.  When  all  is  clear 
there  is  no  waiting  for  the  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God. 
At  the  same  time  we  know  whom  we  have  believed,  and  are 
persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  keep  that  which  we  have  com- 
mitted to  Him  against  that  day.  May  you  ever  have  this 
knowledge  ! " 

After  this  correspondence  had  continued  some  months 
the  following  letter  was  written  to  her  previous  to  her  bap- 
tism : — 

"  I  have  arranged  it  all  with about  your  bap- 
tism in  Wymeswold  Church.  Let  me  remind  you  (not  as 
though  you  did  not  know  it,  but  that  you  may  realize  it  the 
better)  that  you  are  about  to  dedicate  yourself  to  Christ  as 
your  Lord  and  Master  j    to  rely  upon  Him  as  your  Saviour, 


1 S40]  Roup  stone  Hall.  1 3 1 

and  to  serve  Him  in  purity  of  thought  and  self-denial  and 
deadness  to  sin  all  your  life ;  and  if  this  seems  a  difficult 
thing,  do  not  forget  that  He  giveth  His  Holy  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  Him,  and  that  this  Spirit  helpeth  our  infirmities. 
Therefore,  you  have  before  you  a  life  of  prayer  and  a  fight  of 
faith.  For  many  reasons  your  course  is  not  likely  to  be  one 
without  stumbling-blocks  and  struggles ;  therefore  your  re- 
ligion should  be  to  you  the  more  real,  the  more  heartfelt,  the 
more  decided.  Love  is  the  best  remedy  for  doubt,  and 
humble  reliance  for  ungrounded  fear.  If  you  feel  that  you 
love,  adore,  and  trust  wholly  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  your 
faith  will  be  proof  against  all  mere  speculations,  doubts,  and 
suggestions.  I  assure  you,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  extends 
I  shall  ever  be  ready  and  willing  to  satisfy  you  on  any  ques- 
tion which  may  arise  in  your  mind,  and  so  far  from  regard- 
ing it  as  a  favour  conferred  on  you,  I  cannot  be  thankful 
enough  that  it  pleases  God  to  make  me  instrumental  in  any 
way  in  bringing  you  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  May  you 
continue  steadfast  to  the  end,  grounded  and  settled  in  the 
faith,  even  till  you  enter  into  His  glory  !  " 

Henry  Alford^s  time  was  now  sufficiently  occupied  by  his 
pupils,  the  parish,  and  his  literary  works.  The  seclusion  of 
Wymeswold  had  been  a  matter  of  regret,  inasmuch  as  it . 
separated  him  from  the  refined  and  intellectual  society  so 
dear  to  a  person  of  his  temperament  and  acquirements.  That 
regret  was  very  much  mitigated  by  our  acquaintance,  which 
gradually  became  intimate,  with  our  neighbours,  Mr.  Smith 
Wright  ^  and  his  wife,  the  Dowager  Lady  Sitwell,  of  Remp- 
stone  Hall,  about  two  miles  from  Wymeswold.  Our  inter- 
course with  them  was  of  the  most  delightful  and  useful 
character,  and  their  kindness  and  hospitality,  which  extended 
to  our  family  and  the  pupils,  and  their  liberal  assistance  in 
parochial  works  were  such  as  can  never  be  forgotten.  Their 
house  was  the  resort  of  visitors  who  had  won  for  themselves 
a  name  among  the  literary  or  political  men  of  the  day.  And 
in  late  years  it  was  a  pleasure  to  us  to  trace  back  to  our 

1  His  nephew,  Mr.  Ichabod  Charles  Wright,  is  well-known  as  the  trans- 
lator of  Dante, 

K    2 


132  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [c hap.  IV. 

casual  intercourse  with  such  persons  at  Rempstone  Hail 
many  acts  of  kindness  shown  to  us  from  quarters  whence  we 
had  no  sufficient  reason  to  expect  it. 

It  might  have  been  about  this  time  that  he  met  at  dinner 
there  the  late  Bishop  Blomfield.  The  fact  is  vividly  im- 
pressed on  my  memory  by  a  circumstance.  When  my  hus- 
band came  home  I  was  told  he  had  asked  the  Bishop  of 
London  to  walk  over  and  see  Wymeswold  Church,  which, 
though  not  then  restored,  was  not  without  points  of  interest. 
Next  morning,  about  ten  o'clock,  just  as  he  was  beginning 
the  work  of  the  day  with  his  pupils,  we  were  taken  by  sur- 
prise by  the  bishop,  who  came  with  some  of  his  young 
people  to  see  the  church,  and  remarked  in  his  quick  way, 
^  He  was  an  early  man,  and  liked  a  good  walk.' 

In  1841  Henry  Alford  was  appointed  Hulsean  Lecturer  in 
the  University  of  Cambridge.  The  subject  of  his  lecture 
was  '^  The  consistency  of  the  Divine  conduct  in  revealing  the 
Doctrine  of  Redemption.''  The  appointment  was  continued 
for  two  years,  and  two  volumes  of  lectures  were  published. 
Journal. 

"  It  may  be,  that  not  yet,  but  at  some  future  time,  I  feel 
persuaded,  that  I  shall  be  able  to  bring  myself  to  undertake 
and  carry  through  a  long  and  earnest  poem  on  the  great 
subjects  which  now  agitate  the  inner  and  more  serious 
thoughts  of  the  better  part  of  mankind.  For  this  end  much 
is  wanting,  my  spirit  must  be  more  thoroughly  imbued  than 
it  is  now  with  the  thoughts,  and  the  tone  of  the  great 
masters  of  poetry  and  of  poetic  prose.  A  complete  reading 
of  the  works  of  Milton  and  Jeremy  Taylor  seems  to  be  re- 
quisite ;  that  I  may  sink  deep  into  the  ^  harping  symphonies 
of  the  one,  and  learn  to  weave  the  fancy's  web  with  some- 
thing of  the  happy  skill  of  the  other.'  A  careful  re-perusal 
of  Wordsworth  is  necessary.  The  '  Guesses  of  Truth '  of 
Archdeacon  Hare,  I  have  found  very  suggestive  of  earnest 
thought  on  the  highest  subjects. 

'^Nor  should  I  leave  unread  the  various  publications  of 
the  present  day  touching  the  great  question  of  Church  and 
State.     Gladstone  pleases  mc  as  much  as  any  of  the  authors 


1 841]  The  Tracts  for  the  Times.  133 

now  writing'.  There  is  much  food  for  earnest  thought  in  the 
Tracts  for  the  Tiines  (I  have  not  read  them  thoroughly,  except 
Tract  No.  XC).  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  years  hence 
many  of  their  present  positions  will  be  left  far  behind  by 
themselves  and  their  successors,  nor  can  I  see  how  they  can 
have  any  rest  for  the  sole  of  their  feet  till  they  arrive  within 
the  stronghold  of  Rome.  As  to  all  the  opponents  of  the 
Tracts  which  I  have  seen,  their  spirit  is  so  unchristian,  their 
ignorance  so  truly  barbarous,  and  their  theological  systems 
80  discontinuous  and  inconsistent  with  themselves,  that  I 
have  never  been  able  to  read  many  pages  of  their  writings 
without  indignation ;  one  honourable  exception  I  may  make 
in  favour  of  Maurice^s  ^Kingdom  of  Christ/  with  which  how- 
ever I  have  still  some  fault  to  find. 

"  Of  all  the  opponents  of  the    Oxford  Tracts 

is  the  vainest  and  the  most  objectionable.  The  fallacies 
on  which  he  proceeds  are  not  founded  in  error  of  judg- 
ment or  deficiency  of  the  understanding,  but  in  obliquity 
of  the  moral  sense.  To  all  this  the  preparation  for  my  next 
set  of  Hulsean  Lectures  may  be  rendered  in  some  measure 
subservient.  Would  that  my  life,  desultory  as  I  am  sensible 
it  has  been,  may  have  been  a  gathering  here  and  there  for 
some  such  great  work,  and  that  my  powers  and  attention 
as  I  advance  may  concentrate.  I  am  deeply  conscious  of  a 
want  of  earnestness  and  reality  about  my  opinions — a  want 
of  self- discipline — an  indolence  and  dispersiveness  about  my 
efforts,  which  render  me  far  other  than  I  might  be  if  I 
would. 

^'  There  is  also  a  continual  morbid  looking  for  promotion 
which  is  quite  unworthy  of  one  who  feels  any  resources 
within  himself;  why  cannot  I  act  as  I  profess,  and  leave  all 
this  to  Him  who  knows  what  is  my  proper  station  and  em- 
ployment ?  These  things  seem  to  me  to  betoken  deep 
faults  somewhere,  and  I  see  the  effects  of  them  on  my  temper 
and  intercourse  with  others.  The  head  and  the  heart  both 
require  discipline  and  correction." 

This  spring  a  pupil  is  remembered  as  a  most  agreeable 
accession  to  our  household.  This  was  Mr.  Chai'les  Buxton,  the 


134  Life  of  Deem  A /ford.  [Chap.  IV. 

son  and  the  biographer  of  Su-  T.  F.  Buxton.  He  afterwards 
wen  distinction  in  the  House  of  Commons.  His  death  at  an 
early  age  is  announced  while  this  memoir  is  in  preparation. 
In  the  summer  we^  and  one  of  his  pupils,  Mr.  Burnett, 
went  to  Switzerland  for  a  few  weeks,  leaving  his  parish  in 
the  charge  of  his  brother-in-law,  the  Eev.  S.  Alford  (now 
Eector  of  Upper  Helmsley),  who  had  been  ordained  in  the 
preceding  April. 

In  the  spring  of  1842,  he  took  a  tour  into  Derbyshire  with 
his  four  pupils,  Messrs.  Pepys,  Wilbraham,  Nicholson,  and 
H.  F.  Hallam  :  a  reference  will  be  found  subsequently  where 
the  early  death  of  Mr.  Hallam  is  mentioned.  In  the  summer 
we  went  to  Somersetshire  and  Charmouth,  returning  home  by 
London.  About  this  time  he  was  appointed  Examiner  in 
Logic  and  Moral  and  Intellectual  Philosophy  in  the  University 
of  London,  an  office  in  which  he  continued  to  work  for  many 
years ;  and  in  the  autumn  of  this  year,  he  became  a  candidate 
for  the  Head  Mastership  of  the  newly-established  College 
of  Marlborough,  but  retired  before  the  election  took  place. 

In  January  1843  we  paid  a  short  visit  to  Aston  Sandford, 
where  his  father  then  lived  as  rector  of  the  parish,  and  on  the 
following  May  8th,  ovu-  fourth  child  and  second  boy  Clement 
was  born,  a  babe  only  lent  for  a  short  time.  Our  family  circle 
had  now  reached  its  fullest  expansion,  too  soon  to  be  con- 
tracted. A  few  months  later,  he  wrote  the  poem  inscribed 
"  To  Alice,  Mary,  Ambrose,  and  Clement,  from  their  father 
in  the  flesh,  and  elder  brother  in  Christ "  ["  Poems " 
p.  249). 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  he  gave  much  time  to  super- 
intending the  building  of  the  new  vicarage,  and  the  laying 
out  of  the  garden,  both  which  were  planned  by  himself. 
He  visited  France  accompanied  only  by  his  friend  C.  Meri- 
vale.  It  was  almost  the  first  occasion  on  which  we  had  been 
separated  since  our  marriage ;  but  the  graphic  letters  which 
he  sent  home,  went  far  to  make  up  for  the  parting. 

To  his  boy  he  prints  a  letter  from  Saumur : — 

"  July  20. 

^'My   dear   little  Ambrose, — You  cannot  yet  read  this 


1S43-1844]  Joiirney  to  France.  135 

yourself,  but  you  must  ask  dear  mammaj  or  Alice,  or  Mary  to 
read  it  to  you,  and  then  you  must  keep  it  till  you  can  read  it ; 
for  it  is  the  first  letter  you  have  ever  had.  I  am  a  long  way 
oflT,  my  dear  little  boy,  but  you  see  I  do  not  forget  you ;  but  I 
pray  for  you  every  day,  that  you  may  be  kept  in  good  health, 
and  may  be  a  good  little  boy  to  dear  mamma,  who  is  so 
kind  to  you.     My  darling  boy,  I  hope  I  shall  see  you  soon. 

"Your  loving  father." 

From  Rouen  he  writes  to  his  wife : — 

"  Jul)/. 

"  God  bless  you,  and  grant  that  the  bond  which  unites  us 
may  daily  become  more  firm  till  it  is  for  ever  made  sure  in 
His  heavenly  kingdom.  With  such  thoughts  do  I  begin  my 
day's  accounts.  My  first  business  is  to  the  post  for  letters, 
the  exile's  food,  even  more  necessary  tha,n  breakfast.  [Then 
a  long  description  of  Rouen  and  its  churches  with  pen-and- 
ink  sketches  of  windows.]  The  Norman  style  in  England 
gave  place  to  the  Early  English,  that  to  the  Decorated,  the 
summit  of  Gothic  beauty. 

"  This  journey  has  put  me  back  ten  years.  I  could  hardly 
have  believed  how  much  I  should  feel  during  an  absence  of 
three  weeks.  There  is  no  occurrence  in  my  life  which  I 
cannot  place  in  the  scheme  of  Providence,  as  overruling  my 
lot,  and  I  think  this  present  journey  will  pack  in  well  in  its 
place.  It  has  shown  me  what  I  have  at  home,  and  how  I 
ought  to  value  it;  and  in  giving  me  fresh  strength  and 
vigour  for  future  exertion,  has,  I  hope,  shown  me  how  well 
worth  making  that  exertion  is,  for  you  and  our  four  dear 
children.  God  has  given  me  you  to  check  me  in  my  occa- 
sional self-will,  and  I  am  fully  persuaded  He  has  arranged  all 
things  for  my  benefit,  that  I  am  in  His  hands,  and  that  He 
has  His  work  to  do  with  me.  Multitudes  of  love  for  you  and 
the  dear  children ;  I  will  write  to  them." 

In  the  spring  of  1844  he  was  preparing  a  larger  Hymn 
Book  for  the  use  of  his  parishioners.  "A  Collection  of 
Psalms  and  Hymns,  adapted  for  Sundays  and  Holidays 
throughout  the  Year,  and  Prose  Hymns  pointed  for 
Chanting."     The  Harvest  Hymn  ("Poems,"  p.  314),  which 


136  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IV. 

afterwards  became  one  of  the  most  popular  of  his  poems, 
was  first  published  in  this  collection. 

The  following  lines,  written  about  this  time  at  the  request 
of  a  lady,  show  his  power  of  composition  in  a  less  serious 
strain : — 

"  I'm  to  Write  in  an  album,  but  what  shall  I  write  ? 
My  brain  is  not  fertile,  my  wits  are  not  bright ! 
I  cannot  spin  cobwebs  to  catch  fleeting  hours, 
I  cannot  draw  cottages,  ladies,  and  flowers. 
I  can  copy  from  books,  but  then,  I  suppose, 
You'll  disdain  to  put  up  with  what  every  one  knows. 

"  I  have,  it  is  true,  a  stray  thought  now  and  then, 
Which  run  to  my  fingers,  and  ask  for  a  pen  : 
The  sight  of  a  cloud,  a  bird,  or  a  flower. 
Brings  tears  for  a  moment,  and  joy  for  an  hour ; 
But  somehow,  whenever  an  album's  in  sight, 
I  may  try  as  I  will,  but  naught  can  I  wi-ite. 

"  Accept,  then  my  wish  as  a  contribution 
From  minds  of  a  difierent  constitution. 
Who  carry  their  brain  in  their  fingers'  ends. 
And  write  sonnets  impromptu  to  please  their  friends. 
I'm  like  a  young  miss,  when  I'm  call'd  on  to  sing, 
A  wayward  and  shy  and  untractable  thing." 

That  spring  was  a  sickly  season.  Influenza  was  prevalent 
in  the  village  of  Wymeswold :  and  in  our  home  I  alone  was 
exempt  from  illness.  Our  eldest  daughter  was  laid  up  with 
typhoid  fever,  and  her  life  was  in  danger  for  some  weeks  ;  all 
the  rest  of  the  household  suffered  from  influenza,  and  in  our 
youngest  child  Clement,  this  was  accompanied  first  by  in- 
flammation of  the  lungs,  and  at  last  by  water  in  the  brain. 
Previously  we  had  regarded  him  as  a  healthy,  bright- spirited 
babe,  but  he  had  not  strength  to  bear  up  under  this  attack, 
and  after  a  few  weeks'  illness  he  died  on  Easter  Monday,  8th 
April,  1844.  It  was  the  first  opening  made  by  death  in  our 
happy  circle.  His  father  thus  announced  the  bereavement  to 
my  brother,  Walter  Alford  (now  Vicar  of  Drayton)  : — 

"  Easter  Monday. 

"  You  doubtless  heard  of  the  serious  illness  of  our  dear 
little  Clement,  and  the  last  account  was  a  favourable  one  ;  but 
on  Thursday  last  a  relapse  came  on,  which  brought  on  effu- 
sion of  the  brain,  and  at  half-past  twelve  to-day  the  dear 
babe  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  to  our  bitter  loss,  but  his  own 


[844]  Death  of  his  youngest  Son. 


6/ 


unutterable  gain.  Amidst  our  sorrow  at  present,  we  cannot 
but  feel  that  there  is  no  part  of  our  earthly  career  on  which 
we  shall  look  with  such  unmixed  joy,  as  the  short  course  of 
this  blessed  infant.  He  now  sings  praises  in  heaven,  and 
sees  Him  whom  not  having  seen  we  love.  You  know  well 
what  these  trials  are,  and  we  need  not  bespeak  your  sym- 
pathy or  your  prayers,  indeed  our  cup  of  sorrow  is  mingled 
with  every  blessing.  We  have  kind  Christian  pupils,  and 
affectionate  servants,  and  then  the  triumph  of  having  one 
dear  child  safe  landed  in  glory.  Is  not  all  this  enough  to 
comfort  the  heart,  even  of  bereaved  parents  ?  And  I  assure 
you,  that  tears  of  sorrow  have  not  been  the  only  ones  which 
I  have  had  this  day." 

To  his  friend  E.  T.  Vaughan  he  writes.  May  4th  : — 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  of  friendly  C'm'istian 
sympathy.  Our  sorrow  has  been  great,  but  we  have  had 
many  bright  points  to  cheer  us,  and  to  keep  any  thing  like 
gloom  away  from  our  hearts.  I  never  saw  a  child  (certainly 
none  of  our  own),  who  seemed  so  completely  to  wear  his 
baptismal  purity  fresh  and  unsullied.  He  was  all  smiles  and 
happiness.  The  aflBiction  has  done  us  good ;  we  used  to  look' 
on  our  prosperity,  and  tremble  to  think  what  God  would  do 
with  us,  we  had  felt  our  hearts  hardened  in  spite  of  ourselves. 
We  knew  it,  and  lamented  it,  but  this  has  opened  the  fresh 
fountains  again.  Oh  that  they  never  may  be  closed,  but 
flow  forth  for  the  good  of  our  dear  people  ! " 

His  feelings  on  this  subject  were  also  expressed  in  three 
Poems — one,  entitled  "First  Sunday  after  Easter,  1844" 
("Poems," p.  252)  ;  another,  April,  1844  ("Poems,"  p.  142), 
both  which  were  written  immediately  after  the  event ;  and  a 
third,  entitled  "Faith"  ("Poems,"  p.  253),  composed  some- 
what later ;  and  amongst  his  papers  were  found  the  follow- 
ing thoughts,  dated,  "  First  Sunday  after  Trinity  : " — ■ 

"  Dear  child,  now  thou  wouldst  have  been  playing  with  the 
bright  summer  flowers,  and  trying  thy  first  steps  on  the  soft 
turf,  and  gladdening  us  with  new  sounds  of  childish  love. 
But  my  own  sweet  Clement,  thou  art  reposing  on  the 
immortal  flowers  of  Paradise,  or  stepping  joyously  along  the 


138  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  IV. 

crystal  pavement.  But  my  own  sweet  angel  child  thou  hast 
learnt  the  new  song  which  thy  poor  father  knoweth  not^,  or 
but  lisps  like  a  babe  !  Watch  round  me  if  thou  mayest,  dear 
Clement,  stand  by  and  wipe  the  soil  of  sin  from  thy  father's 
spirit,  even  as  I  stood  over  thee  on  the  Lord's  Day  at  mid- 
night, nine  weeks  ago,  and  wiped  the  sweat  from  thy  brow. 
Blessed  Jesus,  hold  my  own  babe  to  Thy  bosom,  for  he  is 
with  Thee  in  Paradise." 

In  after-years  this  beloved  child  was  commemorated  by  a 
stained  glass  window  in  the  restored  church  at  Wymeswold, 
and  by  another  in  the  south  transept  of  the  choir  of  Can- 
terbury Cathedral. 

It  may  be  that  he  felt  it  a  relief  to  sorrow,  to  throw  himself 
with  more  than  usual  ardour  into  his  work,  for  he  describes 
himself  at  this  period  as  "  living  in  the  continual  hurry  and 
tear  of  labour  and  fatigue.  I  hardly  know  what  it  is  quietly 
to  sit  down  and  look  on  the  blessings  with  which  God  has 
surrounded  me." 

In  the  summer  the  new  vicarage  was  ready  for  the  recep- 
tion of  his  family  and  his  pupils,  and  it  became  our  residence 
accordingly.  It  was  in  a  nice  airy  situation,  and  much  more 
convenient  in  many  respects  than  our  small  hired  house, 
and  afforded  more  room  for  pupils.  By  increasing  the 
number  of  pupils  he  intended  to  get  the  necessary  money  for  a 
scheme  which  was  now  in  earnest  beginning  to  shape  itself, 
namely  the  restoration  of  Wymeswold  Church.  The  feelings 
with  which  he  resolved  to  undertake  this  great  work,  are 
expressed  in  his  own  Poem,  entitled,  '^  Wednesday  in  Easter 
Week,  1844"  ("Poems,"  p.  251). 

The  following  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  fabric  at 
this  time  is  abridged  from  his  "History  of  Wymeswold 
Church  :  "— "  The  Parish  Church  of  St.  Mary's,  Wymeswold, 
presented  the  appearance  of  a  venerable  building  disguised 
by  decay  and  disfigurement.  Beginning  with  the  west  end 
the  stranger  observed  a  rich  Early  Perpendicular  tower 
flanked  by  massive  buttresses,  whose  various  stages  were 
surmounted  by  crocketted  gablets.  The  pinnacles,  however, 
which  once  finished  these,  were  gone  ;  and  worse  than  this. 


1844]  Old  Wymeswold  Chnrch.  139 

a  magnificent  spire^  the  pride  of  the  country  rounds  had  dis- 
appeared. The  tower,  seen  over  the  trees  in  which  the  little 
town  is  embosomedj  led  the  stranger  rather  to  expect  a  ruined 
abbey  than  a  parish  church.  He  would  find,  however,  on 
nearer  approach,  that  the  tower  was  not  the  oldest  nor  the 
worst  part  of  the  building.  The  arches  of  the  nave  bear  the 
impress  of  the  early  part  of  the  14th  century.  Their  design 
and  relative  position  is  unexceptionable,  but  their  workman- 
ship harsh  and  clumsy.  The  windows,  with  few  exceptions, 
had  been  despoiled  of  their  tracery  and  fitted  with  upright 
munnions  of  brick,  on  each  side  of  which  the  skill  of  the 
parish  glaziers  had  been  displayed  in  torturing  panes  of  glass 
into  all  forms  but  the  right  one  in  laborious  attempts  at 
Gothic  effect.  The  chancel  was  the  latest  in  date,  as  it  was 
the  best  in  stability,  of  the  various  parts  of  the  building. 
The  roofs  were  unfortunately  in  a  lamentable  state  of  decay, 
far  too  much  so  to  admit  of  any  part  of  them  being  replaced. 
The  porches  were  great  curiosities.  That  on  the  south  side 
was  a  massive  stone  cavern,  built  for  convenience,  in  all  ages 
and  of  no  style.  That  on  the  north  had  once  been  a  richly- 
carved  wooden  porch  with  a  steep  roof.  This  latter  had, 
however,  disappeared,  leaving  the  moulded  timber  arch  alone 
to  record  what  had  been.  As  the  wood  decayed  the  sides 
had  been  patched  with  brick,  or  boulders,  or  whatever  each 
successive  churchwarden  could  best  spare  from  his  stack- 
yard, I  doubt  whether  the  country  could  furnish  two  less 
comely  or  more  grotesque  entrances  to  a  parish  church.  On 
preparing  to  enter  the  church  from  the  west  the  first  thing 
worthy  of  notice  was  the  fine  Early  Perpendicular  doorway, 
of  a  kind  not  uncommon  in  towers  of  this  date  in  Leicester- 
shire. This  goodly  portal,  now  the  main  entrance  to  the 
church,  was,  however,  then  only  the  door  to  a  kind  of  pig- 
sty, or  worse,  dark  and  filthy,  the  receptacle  of  coal,  and 
firing,  and  rubbish  of  all  kinds.  Having  made  his  escape 
from  this  place  into  the  church,  the  stranger  found  himself 
under  the  shadows  of  a  vast  and  hideous  gallery,  by  which 
the  beautiful  tower-arch  was  entirely  blocked  from  view. 
Part  of  the  nave  and  chancel  were  occupied  by  examples,  of 


140  Life  of  Dean  Alfo7'd.  [Chap.  IV. 

about  the  usual  deformity,  of  the  long,  the  square,  and  the 
polygonal    deal   pew.      Facing  all  ways,   and  enclosed    in 
boxes  of  all  heights,  the  congregation  were  placed  in  every 
position  of  advantage  for  observing  the  dress  or  habits  of 
their  neighbours,  and  of  disadvantage  for  concentrating  their 
attention  upon  any  one  subject  or  employment.     The  pulpit, 
reading-desk,  and  clerh's  desh,  placed  after  the  usual  Pelion, 
Ossa,  and  Olympus  fashion,  were  of  the  faintly  carved  and 
uninteresting  character  commonly  called  Jacobeean  :  the  for- 
mer being  surmounted  by  a  massive  sounding-board,  which, 
by  the  laws  of  reflection,  might  concentrate  the  minister's 
voice  over  a  very  small  audience  close  under  the  pulpit,  but 
could  never   disperse  it  to  the  ends  of  the  church.     The 
font   was   a   rude   and   plain   modern  stone    basin,    on   an 
equally   plain    stone    pillar,   and   might   contain   from   two 
to   three   quarts  of  water.      The  church    was    lighted  by 
tallow  dips  stuck  on  sticks,  which  were  inserted  in  holes 
bored  in  the  top  rails  of  the  pews.     These  were  usually  in 
all  progressive  degrees  of  filth  and  leaning  all  ways.     Such 
a  church  as  this,  in  all  its  decay,  filth,  and  unseemliness, 
could  not  but  prove  to  the  parish  a  heavy  source  of  expense 
from  time  to   time   in  necessary  but  wholly  unavailing  re- 
pairs, and  a  subject  of  grief  to  those  among  the  parishioners 
who  had  been  taught  to  believe  that,  although  the  Loed 
dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with  hands,  yet  His  service 
and  His  House  of  Prayer  ought  to  be  honoured  and  provided 
for   in   a   comely  and  decent  manner."     At  this  time  the 
parish  was  so  distracted  by  divisions  in  religion  that  it  was 
"  impossible  to  collect  a  rate  even  for  the  common  purposes 
of  the  annual  expense  of  public  worship."     The  vicar,  there- 
fore, in  a  paper  which  was  sent  to  every  parishioner,  offered 
to  undertake  the  needful  repairs,  and  pay  for  them  by  volun- 
tary contributions. 

Amongst  other  schemes  to  raise  money  for  this  restoration 
one  was  an  advertisement  in  the  Times.  Two  of  the  answers 
must  be  recorded. 

"  An  offering  to  the  Lord  for  the  restoration  of  Wymes- 
wold  Church,  from  Mary,  a  penitent,  2,'?.  Qd ." 


1844]  Dr.  Arnold's  Life.  141 

"Mexico,  Dec.  30,  1844. — Rev.  Sir, — Having  seen  in  the 
Times  a  communication  from  you  respecting  the  intended 
repairs  of  the  church  of  Wymeswold,  I  take  the  hberty  of 
asking  you  to  put  my  name  down  for  that  purpose  for  5L  I 
am  in  no  way  connected  with  your  part  of  the  country,  but 
I  could  not  read  without  much  interest  the  truly  Christian 
appeal  you  have  made  in  favour  of  the  sacred  edifice  entrusted 
to  your  care.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  call  me  in  your 
list  C.  B.  ?  '' 

A.  W.  Pugin  was  the  architect  chosen,  and  no  man  could 
have  done  his  work  better.  The  building  of  his  new  vicar- 
age and  the  restoration  of  his  church  were  both  connected 
with  our  first  domestic  trials.  Our  summer  holiday  this  year 
was  spent  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  newly  published  "  Life 
of  Dr.  Arnold  "  was  read  at  this  time,  and  it  gave  rise  to  the 
following  reflections,  which  I  find  in  his  common-place 
book : — • 

"Aug.  24. — I  have  just  finished  reading  Dr.  Arnold^s  Life, 
and  do  trust  that  the  very  vivid  feelings  of  delight  with  which 
I  have  contemplated  his  character  may  produce  some  lasting 
fruit  in  the  reformation  of  my  own  idle  and  desultory  life. 
Though  I  difier  widely  from  him  on  many  most  important 
points,  yet  I  intensely  admire  his  earnestness  of  character 
and  real  devotion  to  one  object.  I  seem  to  myself  to  be  here 
at  thirty-four,  frittering  my  time  away  in  a  hundred  little 
matters,  and  doing  no  real  substantial  good  to  any  body. 
Why  so  ?  Day  by  day  I  have  time  and  spirit  and  energy, 
but  all  are  uncentred.  My  task  of  editing  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment flags  from  my  unreadiness  to  buckle  to  work  again 
after  a  long  interval  of  building  and  superintending ;  and 
then  the  work  itself  is  almost  hopelessly  long  and  tedious.  I 
believe  my  first  exertion  will  be  to  write  a  volume  of  Sermons 
on  the  reality  of  the  Christian's  life,  addressed  to  the  various 
bodies  amongst  us,  e.g.  to  the  Baptists — to  the  Dissenters 
in  general — to  Low  and  High  Churchmen  ;  or  again  a  volume 
of  Sermons  on  the  reality  of  the  Christian  life,  on  the  unity 
of  the  Church,  on  Christian  practice  ;  each  of  these  subjects 
seem  to  me  well  to  deserve  treatment,  and  from  my  own  cir- 


142  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IV. 

cumstances  and  bent  of  mind  I  believe  I  could  treat  most  of 
them  so  as  to  be  listened  to. 

Soon  after  our  return  laome  lie  received  another  mark  of 
the  favourable  opinion  which  Bishop  Kaye,  of  Lincoln,  held 
of  him.  The  Diocese  of  Fredericton  was  about  to  be  created; 
and  the  Bishop  being  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Bishoprics 
Council,  by  whose  efforts  the  endowment  was  provided, 
wrote  to  ascertain  whether  Henry  Alford  was  willing  to  be- 
come the  lirst  Bishop  of  the  new  See.  On  this  subject  he 
writes  to  his  father  : — 

"  Wymesvoold  Vicarage,  Sept.  6. 

"  I  wish  to  consult  you,  and  all  who  are  able  to  give  me 
advice,  on  a  most  important  subject. 

"  The  Bishop  of  Lincoln  has  offered  me  the  Bishopric  of 
New  Brunswick.  It  only  occurred  last  night,  so  that  I  have 
as  yet  made  no  inquiries,  which  of  course  will  be  my  first 
business.  If  inclination  only  were  to  guide  us  in  these 
matters,  I  should  have  declined  previous  to  all  inquiry.  My 
studies,  tastes,  and  predilections  are  all  in  favour  of  England, 
and  I  myself  imagine  I  am  unfitted  for  Colonial  labours. 
Then  there  are  the  usual  reasons  for  not  quitting  home  aug- 
mented in  my  case  by  my  just  having  entered  this  house 
and  enfeebled  my  present  resources  by  what  I  have  expended 
on  it,  and  by  what  I  have  engaged  to  expend  on  our 
Parish  Church.  But  if  the  matter  be  a  leading  of  God's 
Providence,  a  call  from  Christ  to  take  up  the  cross  and 
follow  Him,  I  can  sacrifice  these  things,  and  undertake  the 
life  of  a  Missionary  (for  such  I  apprehend  it  is)  in  a  distant 
Colony.  As  soon  as  I  hear  more  particulars,  I  will  write 
again.  Meantime  let  me  have  your  first  impressions  of  the 
matter,  which  often  are  very  valuable." 

To  Eliza  Mott  he  wrote  on  this  subject : — 

"  I  told  you  about  a  matter  which  at  present  occupies 
much  of  our  thoughts.  You  will  think  of,  and  pray  for  us 
also.  This  is  a  glorious  field  of  work,  but  my  question  is.  Is 
it  the  field  which  God  has  prepared  for  me  to  work  in  ?" 


1 8  4  5  ]  Railway  A  cciden  t.  143 

After  mature  consideration^  and  by  the  advice  of  friends, 
the  office  was  declined,  and  eventually  Dr.  Medley  was 
chosen  to  be  the  first  Bishop  of  Fredericton. 

On  New-year's  day,  1845,  daily  Morning  Service  was 
begun  in  Wymeswold  Church,  then  about  half  completed. 

In  the  summer  of  1845  he  went  with  his  wife  and  children 
to  London,  and  whilst  he  remained  there  to  perform  his  duty 
as  Examiner  in  the  University  of  London,  he  sent  them  to 
visit  relations  in  Somersetshire.  Their  journey  was  inter- 
rupted by  an  accident  on  the  line,  near  Slough.  The  carriage 
in  which  they  were,  became  detached  from  the  train,  and 
rolled  down  an  embankment,  turning  twice  over  in  its  de- 
scent. Providentially  no  passenger  was  seriously  injured, 
and  after  a  delay  of  two  hours,  they  went  on  their  journey. 
Though  a  letter  was  sent  to  him  from  Slough  describing 
their  escape,  he  did  not  rest  without  going  after  them  the 
same  evening  to  Taunton,  and  so  satisfying  himself  as  to  their 
safety.  He  thus  refers  to  the  accident  in  two  letters,  the  first 
written  as  he  was  on  a  railway  journey  between  Eugby  and 
Leicester  to  his  wife,  June  2  7  : — 

'^  The  more  I  think  of  you  and  the  dear  children  being 
spared,  the  more  merciful  it  seems.  When  we  have  gone 
full  speed  to-day,  I  have  thought  how  almost  impossible  it 
would  be,  to  be  upset  and  not  crushed  to  pieces.  The  line  is 
so  rough,  I  may  well  say  excuse  this  scrawl." 

To  Eliza  Mott  at  the  same  time : — 

"  It  is  indeed  a  source  of  most  heartfelt  thankfulness,  that 
my  dear  wife  and  children  have  been  preserved  from  death, 
and  not  only  that,  but  restored  to  me  unhurt  and  unterrified, 
as  I  found  them  at  Taunton.  I  thought  the  other  day,  when 
standing  over  my  blessed  Clement's  grave,  that  I  might  be 
mourning  over  them  all  but  for  God's  mercy." 

I  may  be  allowed  to  insert  a  letter  which  at  this  time  he 
wi'ote  from  "Wymeswold  to  his  boy  Ambrose,  at  Taunton. 
The  letter  is  written  in  Roman  characters,  such  as  a  child  of 
five  years  old  would  be  capable  of  reading  : — 

"  Dearest  Boy, — I  must  write  a  letter  to  you  before  I  leave 
home.     The  rain  is  falling  fast,  and  the  clouds  are  as  black 


144  Life  of  Deaii  Alford.  [Chap.  IV. 

as  ink^  and  the  wind  is  making  such  a  noise.  All  the  hay  is 
wet  through.  The  nursery  is  papered,  and  looks  very  nice 
indeed. 

'^  The  plants  are  in  flower,  and  the  bird  is  singing.  The 
rabbits  and  the  bantams  are  very  well,  there  are  two  young 
ducks,  only  two.  I  was  so  glad  to  hear  from  dear  mamma 
that  you  were  a  good  boy.  Do  not  forget,  Ambrose,  that  you 
are  God^s  child,  and  our  blessed  Saviour  loves  you,  so  you 
must  be  very  good  to  mamma,  and  very  kind  to  every  one, 
and  to  Alice  and  Mary,  and  pray  to  God  always  that  you 
may  continue  His  child  as  long  as  you  live,  and  lie  in  His 
bosom  when  you  die.  I  hope,  if  God  brings  me  safely,  that 
I  shall  soon  see  my  darling  boy  again.  Give  my  kind  love 
to  dear  mamma,  and  Alice,  and  Mary,  and  all, 

"  Your  loving  Father,  dear  Boy." 

In  the  autumn  he  obeyed  an  urgent  summons  to  go  to 
Weston-super-Mare,  where  his  father  had  been  suddenly 
seized  by  an  illness  so  severe,  that  his  life  was  at  one  time 
despaired  of.  With  that  sorrowful  prospect  before  him  he 
wrote  thus  to  his  wife  : — 

"  I  write  to  prepare  you,  in  case  any  thing  should  occur  to 
detain  me,  or  otherwise  cross  our  present  plans.  Thus  has  it 
pleased  God  to  mingle  affliction  in  our  cup  at  a  time  when 
we  least  expected  it.  But  I  am  persuaded  such  disappoint- 
ments are  good  for  us.  I  feel  it  a  blessed  thing  to  be  cast 
into  the  hands  of  God  more  sensibly,  than  in  my  forgetfulness 
I  am  apt  to  feel  myself.  May  we  so  live  together  in  all  holy 
devotion  and  obedience  to  our  Blessed  Lord,  that  we  may 
watch  one  another's  beds  of  sickness  or  death,  when  it  is  His 
will,  without  distrust  or  fear." 

The  design  of  writing  a  Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment, began  about  this  time  to  assume  a  definite  shajae.  He 
has  been  heard  to  say,  that  the  notion  first  entered  his  mind 
after  he  had  taken  his  degree,  and  was  suggested  by  a  ser- 
mon which  he  heard  at  Cambridge.  It  was  mentioned  to  a 
publisher,  who  encouraged  him  to  proceed  with  it,  and  he 
then  calculated  that  the  work  would  occupy  two  thin  octavo 
volumes,  and  would  be  complete  in  a  year.     The  purpose, 


1845]      Undertakes  to  edit  the  Greek  Testament.      145 

thougli  not  acted  on,  was  not  forgotten.     In  March,  1843,  he 
wrote  in  a  letter  to  his  friend  C.  Merivale  : — 

"  I  have  undertaken  an  edition  of  the  Greek  Testament, 
which  at  the  very  least  will  occupy  me  a  twelvemonths'  in- 
cessant labour/' 

And  again  in  December,  1845,  he  wrote  to  another  Col- 
lege friend,  the  present  Archbishop  Trench,  then  Professor  of 
Divinity  at  King's  College,  London  : — 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  little  help  towards  the  work  which 
I  have,  I  suppose,  now  finally  undertaken,  that  of  editing 
the  Greek  Testament,  by  furnishing  me  with  a  few  hints 
as  to  what  sort  of  a  book  it  is  that  you  at  King's  College 
want.  I  will  tell  you  what  I  think  of;  I  propose  to  adopt  in 
the  main  the  text  of  Lachmann  and  Buttmann,  and  to  give 
the  greater  part  of  their  various  readings.  In  the  margin 
I  mean  to  give  references,  not  to  subject-matter  (except  in 
the  case  of  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament,  which  will 
be  distinguished  by  small  capitals)  but  to  Hellenistic  con- 
structions and  usages  of  words ;  thus  forming  a  very  useful 
body  of  references  to  the  student,  which  has  never  before 
been  collected  in  the  same  form ;  then  in  the  notes  my  idea 
is  to  make  my  commentary  rather  referential  and  suggestive 
than  complete  in  itself:  just  give  me  your  impression  on 
these  points.  I  mean  to  point  out  sources  of  Biblical  infor- 
mation rather  than  expand  the  information  itself :  but  then 
such  a  plan  has  its  disadvantages,  and  I  have  some  doubts 
on  this  head,  on  which  I  require  counsel. 

"  As  to  the  sources  whence  I  may  draw  my  annotations, 
I  am  afraid  I  am  somewhat  at  a  loss.  My  knowledge  of  the 
German  commentators  is  but  scanty.  Olshausen  I  have, 
and  like  what  I  have  read  of  him  better  than  any  other 
modern  commentator ;  pray  tell  me  what  place  he  holds  in 
the  esteem  of  learned  men  ?  I  found  the  translation  of  Hug 
very  useful  to  myself  when  studying  the  Greek  Testament, 
and  have  thought  of  making  considerable  use  of  his  remarks. 
The  usual  German  helps,  such  as  Wahl  and  Winer,  I  have 
and  use  ;  if  you  can  suggest  to  me  any  others,  I  shall  readily 
adopt  them.     The  work  is  a  most  important  one  and  seems 

L 


146  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d,  [Chap.  IV. 

to  me  more  and  more  to  require  not  only  extensive  ac- 
quaintance with  books,  but  above  all  tliat  sound  and  dis- 
criminating wisdom,  whicli  learning  may  be  the  secondary 
means  of  obtaining,  but  which  we  can  only  believe  to  be  the 
gift  of  that  good  Spirit  who  leads  into  all  truth.  Pray  do 
not  let  me  be  troublesome  to  you,  but  if  you  should  have  a 
spare  hour  to  bestow,  let  me  have  what  you  can  spare  on  the 
above  points." 

While  the  restoration  of  Wymeswold  Church  was  steadily 
going  on,  a  daily  morning  service  was  kept  up  in  one  part 
or  other  of  the  church  throughout  1845.  On  New  Year's 
day,  1846,  he  tried  the  experiment  of  daily  morning  and 
evening  service,  but  this  was  not  long  continued,  in  con- 
seqaence  of  the  paucity  of  the  congregation.  In  Easter- 
week,  1846,  Wymeswold  Church  was  opened,  and  there 
was  a  series  of  ten  sermons  on  the  general  subject  of 
"  The  Conformity  of  the  Christian  to  the  Eesurrection  of 
Christ:"  the  first  two  and  the  last  two  were  preached  by 
the  Vicar;  the  others  by  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton,  then 
Yicar  of  Sheepshed ;  the  Eev.  T.  Hill,  Canon  of  Lichfield  and 
Vicar  of  Chesterfield ;  the  Eev.  G.  E.  Gillett,  Eural  Dean, 
and  Eector  of  Waltham-on-the-Wolds ;  the  Eev.  E.  Blunt 
(now  Dalby),  Vicar  of  Belton;  the  Eev.  E.  Meek,  Eector  of 
Sutton  St.  Michael;  the  Eev.  W.  Selwyn,  Prebendary  of 
Ely,  and  Eector  of  Branstone. 

The  total  cost  of  the  restoration,  excluding  the  work  in  the 
church  which  Trinity  College  undertook,  was  about  3500L 
A  full  account  of  all  that  was  done  was  published  in  a  thin 
quarto  volume  profusely  illustrated,  and  entitled  "  A  History 
and  Description  of  Wymeswold  Church." 

Eeferring  to  one  of  the  sermons  preached  by  the  Vicar, 
a  contemporary  Notice  states  : — 

"  We  shall  never  forget  what  a  striking  impression  his 
sermon  made;  it  was  Easter-day,  his  text  was  Phil,  iii,  10. 
After  alluding  to  the  joyful  event  which  that  day  celebrated, 
as  well  as  to  the  interesting  occasion  on  which  they  were 
met  together,  he  then  begged  the  prayers  of  the  congre- 
gation for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the  series  of  religious 


1846]        Restoration  of  Wymesiuold  Chtirch.  147 

services  by  whicli  they  were  about  to  celebrate  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Church,  and  lest  it  should  be  supposed  that 
this  request  was  made  merely  as  a  matter  of  course,  he 
paused  for  a  few  minutes  while  his  hearers  commended  the 
work  to  the  Holy  Spirit/' 

In  the  summer  of  1846  he  went  to  the  Tyrol,  accompanied 
by  two  of  his  pupils,  Messrs.  Holland  ^  and  Wright  ^ ;  they 
left  England  on  June  14.  The  following  extracts  are  taken 
from  numerous  letters  then  written  to  his  wife : — 

'"^It  is  well  worth  a  journey  from  England  to  see  Nurem- 
burg;  the  houses  are  all  sorts  of  grotesque  shapes,  and  in 
a  church  in  which  we  have  been,  there  is  most  splendid 
painted  glass.  I  have  chatted  with  German  peasants,  and 
nursed  and  played  with  German  children,  and  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  they  are  the  very  best  people  on  the  earth, 
contrasting  most  favourably  with  their  neighbours  (il  ne 
faut  pas  le  dire  a  la  Bonne  ^) .  It  is  dull  between  Ratisbon 
and  Nuremburg,  but  we  pass  over  a  range  of  hills  which 
forms  the  backbone  of  Europe,  the  Maine  going  into  the 
Rhine  on  one  side  of  it,  and  the  Regen  and  Latten  into  the 
Danube  on  the  other.  We  started  on  foot  for  the  Lake 
of  Halstadt  through  a  most  grand  valley.  The  village  of 
Halstadt  is  perched  about  like  bird's-nests  on  the  rocks. 
Berchtesgarden  we  saw,  and  the  Konigssee,  which  is  exceed- 
ingly wild  and  solitary.  We  took  a  great  walk  over  the 
Malnitzer  Taneur ;  it  was  very,  very  steep,  but  full  of  beau- 
tiful flowers  of  all  colours.  A  serious  loss  awaited  me,  for 
on  arriving  at  the  bottom  I  found  my  stick '  minus  the 
bottom  joint,  including  my  pens,  ink,  sealing-wax  and 
pencils 

'^  We  were  now  in  Illyria,  where  they  have  the  drollest 
affair  by  way  of  carriage  I  ever  saw.     A  very  low,  primitive 


^  Minister  of  Quebec  Chapel,  and  son  of  Sir  Henry  Holland. 
3  Son  of  I.  C.  Wright,  Esq.,  the  translator  of  Dante. 

*  Referring  to  a  French  nurse  at  Wymeswold. 

*  This  useful  walking-stick  was  made  specially  for  him  according  to  his 
own  directions.  Besides  the  articles  named  it  held  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  stick  his  money  and  dressing  materials.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
the  Rev.  T.  Scott  Huxley,  of  Canterbury. 

L   2 


148  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IV. 

kind  of  cart,  covered  with  sheepskins,  no  springs,  the 
travellers  in  the  cart,  and  the  man  sitting  on  the  front  bar ; 
and  this  thing  tearing  along  up  and  down  hills  like  pre- 
cipices, jolting  in  the  most  laughable  and  least  terrible  man- 
ner. To-day  we  have  crossed  the  Ampezzo,  and  are  now  in 
Italy 

'^  Of  all  places  I  ever  saw,  Venice  is  the  least  disappoint- 
ing. A  most  glorious  and  extraordinary  view,  a  city  on  the 
sea ;  we  were  rowed  by  gondoliers,  who  sing  stanzas  of  poetry 
in  clear  melodious  voices.  San  Marco  is  a  most  wonderful 
building,  thoroughly  un-European,  and  yet  entirely  Christian; 
every  bit  of  the  walls,  roof,  and  floor  is  mosaic,  gilt  ground, 
inlaid  with  very  small  stones.  The  richness  of  the  marbles 
and  inlaying  is  almost  incredible.  There  are  many  hundred 
pillars  of  precious  marbles,  some  unique  in  the  world.  The 
whole  effect  is  sombre  and  very  fine.  The  architecture  is 
Byzantine  and  mosque-like.  Venice  is  like  fairy-land,  so 
unusual,  so  still,  and  yet  so  full  of  life  and  anima- 
tion  

"  I  grieve  to  say  that  in  all  the  Roman  Catholic  churches, 
in  which  we  have  been,  much  levity  and  irreverence  pre- 
vail among  the  clergy  and  assistants,  even  in  the  most 
solemn  mysteries  of  our  religion,  and  when  they  believe  our 
blessed  Lord  to  be  materially  and  bodily  present.     I  only 

wish  poor could  have  come  out  with  me  this  summer, 

and  seen  the  clergy  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  where 
they  have  not  our  sharp  English  eyes  upon  them.  On  Tor- 
cello,  near  Venice,  on  an  island,  there  is  an  old  cathedral  of 
the  ninth  century,  all  over  mosaics,  some  of  which  evidently 
furnished  Dante  with  ideas  for  his  '  Inferno.' 

"  Verona  lies  on  the  swiftly-running  Adige,  at  the  foot  of 
hills  crowned  with  castles  and  vineyards.  The  chief  object 
there  is  the  magnificent  amphitheatre.  I  am  writing  in  the 
train,  on  the  road  between  Morbegno  and  Sondrio,  on  the 
Stelvio ;  from  Verona  we  came  to  Brescia,  passing  by  the 
Lago  di  Garda,  by  far  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Italian  lakes. 
We  crossed  the  lake  to  Sirmio,  the  famous  villa  of  Catullus, 
one  of  the  sweetest  of  the  Roman  poets.     There  is  a  very 


1846]  A  Secession  to  Rome.  149 

beautiful  little  piece  of  his  about  Sirmio,  wliicb  I  translate 
for  your  benefit."  .... 

Several  beautiful  letters  to  his  children,  and  the  Lyrical 
Poem  "  On  the  Saltzburg  Chimes  "  ["  Poems/'  p.  258]  were 
written  at  this  time. 

It  was  early  in  the  summer  of  1846  that  an  event  occurred 
which  continued  for  several  months  to  cost  him  much  anxiety 
and  trouble.  A  pupil,  whose  agreeable  manners  and  earnest 
piety  endeared  him  to  all  the  family  in  which  he  was  a 
sojourner,  left  Wymeswold  in  1845  for  Cambridge,  visited 
us  at  Easter  1846,  when  the  restored  church  (to  which  he 
was  a  contributor)  was  opened,  and  very  soon  afterwards 
professed  himself  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  Cer- 
tain circumstances  connected  with  the  conversion  were  dis- 
cussed with  much  heat  in  the  newspapers,  and  there  were 
some  persons  who  spoke  of  Henry  Alford  as  culpably  negli- 
gent in  that  he  did  not  suspect  what  was  passing  in  the  mind 
of  his  pupil,  and  did  not  so  effectually  counteract  the  in- 
fluence by  which  he  was  moved,  as  to  prevent  the  consum- 
mation which  occurred  at  Cambridge.  The  following  ex- 
tracts from  my  husband's  letters  to  his  father  refer  to  this 
pupil,  and  to  the  strictures  which  were  a  consequence  of  his 
act.  He  tells  his  father  ^^  he  was  very  wavering  when  he 
came  to  visit  us  at  Easter,  and  I  had  several  long  and  serious 
talks  with  him,  and  vainly  hoped  I  had  removed  his  doubts.  I 
have  thought  it  right  to  return  his  subscription  to  our  church." 
In  November  8  he  writes  : — 

^^  The  truth  of  the  matter  about is,  my  confidence  in 

his  soundness  and  attachment  to  the  Church  of  England  led 
me  to  give  him  too  free  an  exeat  to  places  and  persons  which 
it  is  now  sought  to  mix  up  with  his  apostasy.  I  am  per- 
fectly sure  that,  had  he  fallen  into  a  different  set  at  Cam- 
bridge, these  matters  would  never  have  left  an  influence  on 
his  mind  other  than  what  he  professed  at  the  time,  viz. 
increased  attachment  to  the  Protestant  faith.  I  need  not 
waste  paper  in  proving  to  you,  my  dearest  father,  that  I 
have  never  held  any  of  the  doctrines  which  have  been 
ascribed  to  me ;  I  have  never  even  thoroughly  read  '  Tracts 


150  Life  of  Demi  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IV. 

for  the  Times/  except  No.  90,  which  every  body  reads,  and 
one  other  on  Prophecy .^^ 
He  writes  to  Ehza  Mott : — 

"I  feel  quite  easy  about  it.  My  whole  writing  and 
preaching  have  been  in  direct  antagonism  to  Romish  error, 
and  all  who  know  me  know  this.  That  I  .have  given  the 
Roman  Catholics  too  much  external  encouragement  for  the 
times  to  bear  has  been  the  effect  of  a  liberality  which  those 
who  most  blame  me  for  it  have  always  been  the  first  to 
recommend.  We  must  have  more  of  the  serpent  and  less  of 
the  dove  in  future.  Strangely  enough,  yesterday's  post 
brought  me  a  letter  from  a  clergyman  with  a  whole  budget 
of  thanks  for  my  'Dissuasive*"  having,  by  the  blessing  of 
God,  been  the  means  of  reclaiming  a  young  person  just  on 
the  point  of  '  going  over.'  I  believe  very  great  caution  is 
necessary.  I  am  disposed  to  draw  in ;  I  freely  acknowledge 
it.  I  have  not  altered,  but  the  times  have.  Would  you 
blame  the  traveller  for  wi-apping  his  cloak  around  him  in  the 
storm?" 

Some  time  afterwards  a  meeting  took  place  between 
Henry  Alford  and  his  former  pupil,  now  a  priest  in  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  he  thus  describes  the  interview  in  a 
letter  to  his  wife  : — 

'^ and  I  had  a  luncheon  together  and  a  two  hours' 

talk  about  the  whole  matter.  I  am  very  glad  this  has 
been  so,  for  it  has  given  me  the  opportunity  of  healing 
wounds  and  removing  misapprehensions  which,  although 
kept  in  the  background  by  his  affection  for  me,  were  evi- 
dently still  existing.  We  also  had  much  talk  about  the 
Church  of  Rome  and  our  diflPerent  but  now  perfectly  intel- 
ligible positions — his  that  of  traditional  sacramental  trans- 
mission of  Christianity ;  mine  that  of  individual  guidance  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  promise  of  the  covenant  irrespective  of 
any  external  form  of  Church.  Certainly  no  two  could  be 
more  opposite,  and  no  two  more  without  hope  of  any  ap- 


•  "  An  Earnest  Dissuasive  from  joining  tlie  Communion  of  the  Chm'ch  of 
Eome." 


1846J  The  Hampden  Co7itroversy.  151 

proximation.  He  is  the  same  kind,  earnest  fellow  as  ever, 
full  of  energy  and  affection." 

About  this  time  he  went  to  London  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty  as  Examiner  in  the  University  of  London  at  Somerset 
House.  A  letter  written  from  thence  expresses  his  feeling 
with  regard  to  the  controversy  respecting  the  appointment 
of  Dr.  Hampden  to  the  See  of  Hereford,  by  which  the  Church 
was  then  agitated.  An  amusing  incident  is  related  in  the 
same  letter  which  arose  out  of  the  youthful  appearance  of  the 
Examiner. 

To  HIS  Wipe. 

"  Don't  take  your  Hampden  views  from .     You 

see  that  the  Bishops  of  Lincoln,  Oxford,  and  Salisbury  have 
declared  themselves  satisfied  with  Dr.  Hampden.  On  the 
whole,  from  what  has  passed  on  the  matter  altogether,  and 
the  stir  which  has  been  made  about  no  one  exactly  knows 
what,  though  I  think  the  appointment  not  a  judicious  one, 
I  am  now  glad  that  it  has  been  made,  and  I  should  be  ready 
to  declare  my  opinion  if  required. 

"  There  are  four  candidates  at  Somerset  House.  On  my  en- 
tering the  room  one  of  them  said,  '  A  fellow  aspirant,  I  pre- 
sume ? '  on  which  I  replied  with  all  my  disposable  dignity, 
'No,  sir,  the  Examiner.'  The  unfortunate  individual  has 
been  apologizing  ever  since,  and  looks  firmly  convinced  that 
I  shall  pluck  him  for  contumacy." 

This  autumn  some  persons  with  whom  he  was  not  closely 
acquainted  came  to  live  at  Wymeswold,  who,  not  being 
members  of  the  Church  of  England,  intended,  from  the  mo- 
tive of  personal  attachment,  to  join  in  the  services  at  Wymes- 
wold Church.  Being  urged  by  a  common  friend  to  exert 
his  influence  to  induce  his  new  parishioners  to  make  more 
distinct  profession  of  separation  from  their  former  community 
and  of  adhesion  to  the  Church,  he  wrote  on  this  subject  as 
follows : — 

"  The  exact  shaping  out  of  the  course  to  be  pursued  with 
them  has  already  occupied  my  anxious  thoughts,  and  will  do 
so  yet.     You  must  make  every  allowance  for  me,  and  not 


152  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  IV. 

suppose  that  want  of  progress  indicates  want  of  zeal.  T  am 
no  controversialist ;  indeed,  of  all  people  to  persuade  those 
who  differ  with  me  I  am  one  of  the  very  worst,  apt  to  say 
more  or  less  than  I  mean,  apt  to  lose  my  temper  in  debate, 
and  make  the  better  appear  the  worse  side ;  for  this  reason 
I  always  studiously  avoid  debating  religious  differences.  I 
can  only  sow  the  seed ;  and  the  blessing,  and  more  than  that 
the  harrowing  and  working  the  seed  in,  must  come  from 
above. ■'^ 

Another  of  his  parishioners,  to  whom  he  was  attached  by 
many  pursuits  and  tastes  which  they  had  in  common,  took 
offence  from  some  supposed  neglect  which,  if  not  imaginary 
on  one  side,  was  certainly  unintentional  on  the  other.  As 
soon  as  this  feeling  showed  itself  he  attempted  (and  not  in 
vain)  to  remove  it  by  the  following  letter  : — 

"  Dec.  27,  1846. 

"  I  cannot  refrain  from  writing  a  line  to  tell  you  what 
great  grief  your  letter  has  caused  us.  I  do  assure  you  most 
sincerely  and  solemnly  that  there  never  has  been  in  the  mind 
of  either  of  us  any  feeling  towards  you  and  your  wife  but  that 
of  love  and  respect ;  and  it  has  been  a  cause  of  much  regret 
to  us  that  we  could  not  succeed  in  making  this  apparent  to 
you.  Why,  my  dear  sir,  should  we  cast  off  one  another  who 
have  been  placed  by  Providence  in  the  same  parish,  with  the 
same  labour  of  love  to  assist  in,  and  in  great  measure  the 
same  tastes  and  pursuits  ?  I  do  assure  you  the  misunder- 
standing is  wholly  unfounded  in  any  feeling  or  act  of  ours. 
Let  me  implore  you  to  reconsider  the  matter  with  those 
kindly  feelings  to  which  this  season  above  all  others  gives 
rise.  There  is  nothing  I  would  not  do,  nothing  I  would  not 
submit  to,  rather  than  be  on  ill  terms  with  a  neighbour;  and 
in  consequence  I  shall  not  relax  my  efforts,  but  redouble 
them,  to  hold  with  you  that  kindly  and  familiar  intercourse 
which  ought  to  subsist  between  us.  May  all  the  choicest 
blessings  of  this  blessed  season  rest  upon  you,  your  wife, 
and  your  little  ones  !  " 

It  was  at  the  end  of  this  year,  1846,  that  he  published  for 
the  first  time  a  volume  of  Sermons.     It  was  a  small  octavo 


1847]  Throzvn  from  his  Horse.  153 

volume  of  125  pages,  containing  fifteen  sermons,  entitled 
"  Plain  Village  Sermons  on  tlie  Lord^s  Prayer  and  the  Beati- 
tudes/^ It  was  published  by  Dearden,  of  Nottingham,  and 
in  the  preface  it  is  stated  that  most  of  the  sermons  had 
previously  appeared  in  a  series  entitled  "  The  Nottingham 
Church  Tracts." 

A  journal  records  that  at  this  time  he  was  ^'  working  hard 
with  six  pupils  and  Greek  Testament ;  studying  various  read- 
ings of  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark;  rode  to  Hathern  and 
talked  with  Mr.  Phillipps '  on  prophecy."  On  Feb.  23  he 
writes  :  "Eead  a  paper  before  the  Nottingham  Mechanics' 
Institute.  Was  mercifully  preserved  from  death,  my  horse 
having  fallen  with  me  in  my  way  to  Nottingham."  The 
accident  thus  simply  recorded  entailed  some  troublesome 
and  annoying  consequences ;  and  his  conduct  at  the  time 
illustrates  the  quiet  determination  which  was  a  feature  in  his 
character.  He  was  about  six  miles  on  the  road  from  Wymes- 
wold,  when  the  horse  which  had  been  recently  bought,  and 
was  not  a  sure-footed  animal,  stumbled  on  some  loose  stones, 
and  threw  his  rider  over  his  head.  Though  much  shaken, 
bruised,  and  disfigured,  especially  about  the  face  and  head, 
he  persisted  in  his  intention  to  give  his  lecture,  and  accom- 
plished it  notwithstanding  the  pain.  After  first  having 
recourse  to  a  druggist  in  the  town  who  by  the  help  of  ban- 
dages and  plaister  made  him  less  unfit  to  appear  before  an 
audience,  as  a  newspaper  truly  stated — "  Mr.  Alford,  although 
in  much  bodily  suffering  and  no  little  disfigurement,  rather 
than  disappoint  the  assembled  audience,  most  kindly  gave 
his  intended  lecture."  He  was  compelled  to  put  himself 
under  medical  treatment  for  several  days  afterwards,  and 
his  face  bore  a  mark  of  the  accident  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

His  pupils  were  a  constant  object  of  solicitude  to  him,  and 
he  watched  over  the  development  of  their  dispositions  and 
minds,  strengthening  them  with  advice  whenever  it  seemed 
likely  to  be  useful,  and  taking  note  of  every  influence  under 


7  The  well-known  Rector  of  Hathern,  whose  life  was  recorded  by  his 
daughter,  "  Recollections  of  the  Ministry  of  E.  T.  M.  Phillipps,"  1862.  He 
died  in  the  summer  of  1859. 


154  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  IV. 

which  they  might  fall,  with  that  conscientious  carefulness 
which  seemed  to  belong  to  a  father  rather  than  to  a  tutor 
who  was  ready  to  share  the  liveliest  recreation  with  his 
pupils.  The  two  following  letters  are  instances  of  this  trait 
in  his  character  : — 

To  A  Pupil. 

"  I  assure  you  that  it  will  give  me  very  great  pleasure 
to  be  of  what  use  I  can  to  you  in  deciding  the  very  im- 
portant matter  which  you  have  already  referred  to  me.  It 
is  one  on  which  I  had  some  idea  you  were  not  quite  settled, 
and  was  thinking  of  talking  it  over  with  you.  I  mean  the 
important  subject  whether  you  should  take  Holy  Orders. 
This  is  a  matter  in  which  you  should,  after  mature  delibera- 
tion, be  guided  mainly  by  the  promptings  of  your  own 
conscience,  guided,  as  I  am  sure  it  will  be,  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  never  leaves  a  sincere  and  honest  mind  to  come  to  a 
wrong  decision ;  and  to  assist  your  deliberations,  perhaps,  I" 
may  be  able  to  offer  one  or  two  suggestions.  First,  your 
desire  of  doing  good  as  a  clergyman  is  a  great  thing  really. 
You  will  have  the  means,  and  the  will  is  not  deficient,  does 
not  this  of  itself  constitute  a  powerful  motive  ?  Secondly, 
you  seem  rather  to  overrate  the  sacrifices  of  society,  &c., 
required  of  you.  I  see  no  reason  why  you  should  not  do 
what  you  propose,  provided  you  do  not  fall  into  habits  of 
self-indulgence  and  forgetfulness  of  your  profession  and 
duties.  Thirdly,  what  will  you  be  or  do  if  not  in  Orders  ? 
What  sort  of  a  life  do  you  propose  to  yourself  ?  This  should 
(although  it  must  not  decide  the  question)  be  taken  into 
account.  Will  it  be  satisfactory  to  you  to  have  shrunk  from 
a  life  of  usefulness  and  high  example  for  good,  merely  for  the 
sake  of  indulgence  and  the  love  of  society  ?  Fourthly,  your 
views  respecting  situation,  &c,,  will  alter  as  you  advance 
onward  in  life.  You  are  now  young,  and  such  things  pre- 
sent themselves  in  a  very  different  light  a  few  years  later. 
Fifthly,  may  not  this  question  be  deferred  till  you  have 
passed  through  the  University  ?  The  studies  which  you  will 
there  go  through  will  have  done  no  harm,  nay,  even  good  to 


1847]  Advice  to  Pupils,  &€.  155 

you  as  a  layman  \  and  at  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  your  mind 
will  be  more  matured  and  better  able  to  form  a  judgment  on 
its  own  future  course.  Sixthly,  do  not  suppose  from  what 
I  have  said  that  I  have  been  urging  on  you  the  entering 
Holy  Orders.  I  should  not  feel  justified  in  doing  this  to 
any  one.  It  is  a  point  which  must  be  decided  by  a  higher 
counsel  than  the  advice  of  any  man,  which  must  be  sought 
and  found  within  yourself.  If  you  go  to  Oxford,  I  own  to 
you  I  see  no  plan  but  this,  that  you  should  leave  me  and 
fairly  go  to  a  regular  Oxford  tutor,  and  not  lose  any  time  in 
doing  so.  And  in  deciding  this  do  not  take  your  own  wishes 
or  associations  too  much  into  account.  It  wiU  be  a  matter 
of  duty  which  should  overweigh  all  minor  considerations. 
Least  of  all  bestow  a  thought  on  me  or  mine.  Pray  hold 
yourself  perfectly  free  from  all  thoughts,  except  what  may  be 
most  for  your  own  real  advantage.  I  shall  be  happy  to  give 
you  all  the  assistance  in  my  power  in  making  inquiries  for 
such  a  suitable  tutor.  Meantime,  do  not  suppose  that  1 
grudge  time  or  trouble  in  assisting  you  all  I  can  to  form  so 
important  a  determination  as  this  is  for  you,  being  no  less 
than  the  whole  course  and  bent  of  your  life's  work.  I  assure 
you  nothing  gives  me  more  unfeigned  pleasure  than  to  think 
that  I  may  have  been  the  means  of  any  of  my  pupils  finding 
themselves  more  usefully  or  more  comfortably  placed  by 
means  of  my  advice.  This  will  especially  be  the  case  with  you, 
towards  whom  I  have  now  for  some  years  entertained  feelings 
of  regard  and  affection,  and  have  never  found  them  mis- 
placed." 

The  next  letter  was  addressed  to  a  gentleman  who  at  this 
time  was  living  in  constant  and  peculiar  intercourse  with  the 
pupils  and  ourselves  : — 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  excuse  my  addressing  a  few  lines  to 
you  on  a  subject  which  has  of  late  given  me  much  anxiety, 
and  on  which  I  have  more  than  once  thought  of  speaking  to 
you,  but  have  determined  rather  on  committing  to  paper 
what  I  had  to  say  as  the  safer  method.  You  can,  I  think, 
hardly  be  aware  how  often  in  conversation  you  aro  found  the 
commender  and  apologist  of  the  practices  of  Romanism  as 


15^  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  IV. 

distinguished  from  those  of  the  reformed  Protestant  Church 
of  England.  If  this  occurred  in  private  conversation  with 
myself  I  should  lament  it  for  your  own  sake,  and  endeavour 
to  persuade  you  otherwise,  from  the  deep  and  growing  sense 
which  I  have  of  the  vital  importance  of  the  principles  of  the 
Reformation  to  the  very  existence  of  spiritual  religion  among 
us.  But  the  presence  of  my  pupils  and  children  somewhat 
alters  the  case  and  renders  it  quite  necessary  that  I  should 
endeavour  to  persuade  you  not  only  by  ai'gument  on  the  sub- 
jects themselves,  but  by  begging  you  if  possible  to  suppress 
such  advocacy  before  them.  I  assure  you  I  have  more  than 
once  trembled  for  the  impression  which  some  remarks  you 
have  made  might  leave  on  their  minds ;  for  such  remarks  are 
not  easily  answered;  they  leave  on  their  side  all  that  is 
strong  and  outward  by  which  the  young  are  mostly  attracted, 
and  the  deeper  truths  whereby  they  are  answered  take  but 
slight  hold  on  their  young  and  ardent  minds.  Might  I  ven- 
ture on  a  word  of  counsel  to  you,  it  would  be  to  endeavour  in 
your  reading  and  sermons  at  present,  at  least,  to  fix  your  at- 
tention on  the  great  verities  of  our  faith  as  revealed  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  rather  abstain  from  the  exclusive  consideration  of 
the  outward  means  whereby  these  truths  are  to  be  conveyed 
to  mankind.  I  am  persuaded  such  a  course  would  be  most 
useful  both  to  the  people  and  yourself.'^ 

With  the  design  of  becoming  better  qualified  to  edit  the 
Greek  Testament,  he  went  this  summer  to  Bonn  for  a  month, 
and  there  reading  with  a  German  tutor,  and  limiting  himself 
as  much  as  possible  to  German  society,  he  acquired  a  mas- 
tery over  that  language  which,  notwithstanding  repeated 
attempts  previously  in  England,  he  had  failed  to  acquire,  and 
which  gave  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life  easy  access  to  the  vast 
stores  of  theological  learning  which  German  industry  has 
accumulated. 

Before  leaving  England  he  wrote  in  his  journal : — "  Daily 
the  importance  of  the  work  which  I  have  undertaken  grows 
before  me.  Oh  that  I  were  able  to  give  my  whole  time  and 
strength  to  it !  I  shall  see  this  vacation  what  may  be  done 
if  I  devote  my  whole  attention  to  a  thing  ;  and  I  have  besides 


1847]  Visits  Bonn.  157 

the  work  of  various  readings  and  references  to  many  German 
Commentaries  to  read  through  before  my  notes  can  assume 
any  thing  like  form  and  completeness." 

During  his  absence  he  wrote  to  his  wife  at  Heale  letters  so 
minute  and  descriptive  that  they  have  the  appearance  of 
being  intended  for  publication.  A  few  extracts  from  these 
will  be  given : — 

"  Dover,  Ship  Hotel,  June  26. 

*'  I  mean  to  keep^  during  my  present  absence  from  you,  a 
sort  of  journal  which  my  copying-book  will  allow  me  to 
write  in  duplicate,  and  to  transmit  one  copy  to  you  :  and  as  I 
can  carry  the  said  book  in  my  pocket,  and  as  no  ink  is  re- 
quired, I  can  write  at  any  time  and  under  any  circumstances, 
which  will  be  very  pleasant.  Here  we  have  the  full  moon  in 
all  her  majesty  reflected  on  the  rippling  sea.  I,  after  tea, 
walked  on  the  beach  and  watched  the  waves  as  they  drew 
their  slow  weight  down  the  glittering  shingle.  It  is  quite 
one  of  my  nights  to  be  remembered.  I  can  fancy  you  look- 
ing out  through  the  flickering  leaves  of  the  great  Turkey  oak 
at  Heale.  I  enclose  the  dear  children  three  flowers,  picked 
off  the  top  of  Shakspeare's  Cliff.  Find  them  the  famous 
passage  in  King  Lear,  and  read  it  to  them." 

"  Steamier  between  Dover  and  Ostcnd,  June  27. 

"  It  is  a  most  lovely  evening ;  the  sea  as  smooth  as  a  pond, 
and  the  cliffs  of  old  England  glittering  in  the  distance  with 
the  evening  sun.  What  a  wonderful  land  this  is  that  we  are 
leaving  !  What  a  mighty  portion  of  the  human  race  is  be- 
hind those  white  cliffs  !  How  many  true,  and  noble,  and 
pious  hearts  are  beating  beneath  that  calm  and  dappled  sky ! 
And  then,  again,  what  a  struggle  between  power  and  weak- 
ness, misery  and  energy,  poverty  and  wealth,  is  daily  carried 
on  in  that  land !  It  seems  like  the  laboratory — the  work- 
shop of  all  that  is  great  and  new  in  this  our  race.  And  who 
can  tell  what  future  destiny  awaits  its  people  ?  whether  to  fall 
as  other  empires  have  fallen,  overgrown,  bloated,  full  of  luxury 
and  pride,  or  to  purge  off  its  prejudices  and  selfishness  and 
run  a  course  of  usefulness  and  glory  yet  unconcoived.  He 
only  knows  in  whose  hands  are  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth. 


158  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IV. 

"  Cologne,  June  28. 
"  The  catliedral  has  advanced,  and  so  have  I ;  for  I  cannot 
regard  it  with  any  complacency,  as  being  destined  for  a  temple 
of  false  worship  and  fables.  Let  us  hope  for  better  days  and 
a  happier  destiny  for  those  who,  with  true  laudable  toil,  are 
striving  to  rear  a  temple  worthy  of  God's  worship.  I  long 
for  the  pure  truths  of  spiritual  freedom  to  echo  through  these 
magnificent  vaults.  They  may  bar  their  doors  as  they  will, 
but,  under  God,  knowledge  and  education  will  overthrow 
popery.  I  think  so  at  home,  but  I  am  sure  of  it  here  :  only 
let  us  beware  of  sham  education.  God  grant  that  this  elec- 
tion in  England  may  be  productive  of  great  results ;  not  by 
sending  to  Parliament  foolish  anti-popery  delegates ;  but  by 
choosing  intelligent,  honest  men,  who,  with  the  Bible  in  their 
souls,  loyalty  in  their  hearts,  independence  in  their  minds, 
will  refuse  to  make  pledges  when  asked,  and  be  brave  enough 
to  change  their  opinions  when  convinced. 

"  Bonn,  June  29. 
"  Arrived  safe  and  sound  at  the  scene  of  my  next  four 
weeks'  sojourn,  thank  God.  I  have  seen  the  most  lovely 
sight,  after  wandering  through  several  streets,  which  I 
had  half  forgotten.  I  at  last  came  on  the  river,  and 
the  whole  reach  of  the  Drachenfels  was  lying  bright  and 
glittering  in  the  reflection  of  the  new  moon,  with  the  Seven 
Mountains  rising  at  the  end  of  it.  It  was  a  sight  worth  all 
the  journey  to  see.  I  have  taken  lodgings  three  pair  of  stairs 
up,  commanding  the  view  over  the  Rhine  and  Seven  Moun- 
tains on  one  side,  and  the  town  and  cathedral  on  the  other. 
In  my  next  I  will  enclose  a  letter  to  one  or  other  of  the  dear 
children.  I  wish  I  had  Alice  out  here ;  I  think  she  would 
enjoy  it.  Pray  thank  them  for  their  letter.  It  is  St.  Peter's 
Day.  How  I  wish  the  English  Church  would  take  some 
very  decided  step  to  sever  itself  for  good  and  all  from  the 
semi-pagan  Church  of  Rome,  and  then  we  should  be  in  no 
fear  of  keeping  our  commemoration  days.  Certainly  the  Ger- 
mans are  a  better  behaved  people  than  the  English.  There 
is  more  real  good-breeding  among  them  ;  every  one  seems  to 


1847]  Visits  Bonn.  159 

be  aware  of  the  rights,  and  to  respect  the  feelings  of  every  one 
else.  When  will  proud  insulated  England  throw  off  her  self- 
imposed  code  of  pride  and  ignorance,  and  learn  that  God  has 
made  all  men,  and  we  are  all  brethren  of  the  same  great 
family  ?  Never  till  she  does  will  she  or  her  children  be  happy. 
I  have  just  bought  the  German  of  Bunsen's  book,  'The 
Church  of  the  Future/  which,  you  remember,  pleased  me  so 
much  at  home. 

"June  30. — Last  night  old  Scholz  paid  me  a  visit.  He 
has  been  good  enough  to  engage  a  German  tutor  for  me, 
M.  Wolter,  a  student  of  the  University  here.  It  is  very  odd 
for  me  to  be  entirely  in  a  strange  place,  without  a  soul  whom 
I  know,  or  who  knows  me.  I  can't  say  I  dislike  it  for 
a  change,  inasmuch  as  all  changes,  unaccompanied  by  positive 
mischief,  do  one  good,  but  I  should  not  like  it  continually. 
I  can  fancy  something  of  what  banishment  must  be,  but, 
dearest,  don't  think  me  solitary  or  unhappy,  thank  God, 
with  so  many  blessings  and  resources  I  canuot  be  either  of 
these.  Indeed,  as  I  said,  I  enjoy  a  little  solitude  if  it  be 
only  to  think  of  all  that  He  has  given  me. 

"July  3. — I  have  just  I'eturned  from  witnessing  a  very  pretty 
and  characteristic  sight,  a  torch-light  procession,  which  the 
town  and  University  had  prepared,  to  greet  on  their  return  a 
body  of  singers,  who  had  gone  from  Bonn  to  a  great  musical 
concert  at  Ghent,  and  had  borne  away  the  prize  from  all  the 
others  there.  The  procession  was  accompanied  by  a  band 
and  flags  and  torches.  As  they  came  into  the  town,  the 
effect  on  the  buildings  and  trees  was  very  striking.  They 
went  into  the  Miinster  Platz,  where  there  is  a  statue  of 
Beethoven  (who  was  born  and  died  there),  and  which  was 
decorated  with  flowers,  and  lighted  up.  Then  the  singers 
sung  one  of  Beethoven's  pieces,  and  then  the  torch  proces- 
sion went  round  the  town  and  dispersed.  The  effect  of  the 
cathedral  lighted  up  by  the  torches  was  very  striking. 

"  If  you  should  fall  in  with  the  speech  of  Mr.  Shell,  in 
which  he  makes  a  sort  of  funeral  oration  on  O'Connell,  you 
should  read  it :  it  is  a  very  fine  piece  of  oratory,  not  true 
however,  but  that  is  no  matter. 


l6o  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IV. 

"  Sunday  Afternoon,  July  4. — I  am  writing  this  in  a  most 
lovely  spot  on  the  hills  between  Bonn  and  Godesberg,  after 
attending  the  German  Protestant  service^  and  afterwards  in 
the  same  Church  the  English  Service^  and  receiving  the 
Holy  Communion. 

"  The  spot  where  I  am  sitting'is  one  of  the  best  points  of 
view.  A  German  family  have  come  here  also^  the  little  girls 
are  picking  whortleberries^  and  bringing  them  to  their 
mamma.  I  wish  they  were  two  certain  little  girls  and  a  little 
boy  whom  I  know^  and  the  mamma,  my  own  dear  Fanny ; 
but  it  is  not  so,  and  yet  I  am  very  happy  and  thankful.  On 
one  side  of  me  is  the  whole  flat  plain  traversed  by  the  Ehine, 
bordered  by  a  line  of  wooded  hills,  like  Sedgmoor  [in  Somer- 
setshire, near  Heale] ,  only  the  plain  is  larger,  the  hills  about 
the  same  height.  In  the  horizon  is  the  spire  and  large  un- 
finished cathedral  of  Cologne.  I  can  see  by  glimpses  the 
Rhine  all  the  way  from  Cologne  to  Bonn,  and  villages  and 
churches  dappling  its  banks ;  then  comes  Bonn  about  four 
miles  ofi",  glittering  in  the  hot  sun,  and  all  the  houses  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river  reflected  in  the  still  water.  To  the 
right  the  Sieben  Gebirge  rise  out  of  the  Rhine.  From  here 
I  cannot  see  the  water,  but  the  whole  seven  ending  with  the 
Drachenfels,  are  stretched  out  before  me.  Then  on  this  side 
of  the  river  is  the  conical  wooded  hill,  topped  by  the  ruins 
of  Godesberg,  which  I  dare  say  you'remember :  it  is  altogether 
a  lovely  sight,  and  one  calculated  to  carry  on,  and  fix  the 
feelings  of  love  and  joy  which  this  morning  communion  has 
left  on  my  mind.  Were  you  also  at  the  Communion  to- 
day? 

"10  o'clock,  Eve. — I  have  returned  from  my  walk  not  at  all 
tired,  and  I  have  had  a  good  supper.  I  heard  some  English- 
men talking  German,  and  I  gathered  from  their  talk,  one 
came  from  Yorkshire.  I  asked  him  whether  he  knew  Arch- 
deacon Wilberforce.  Judge  my  surprise  at  his  answer,  'I 
am  Archdeacon  Wilberforce ! '  He  is  come  here  to  learn 
German.     A  little  man,  very  like  his  father. 

"July  7. — I  have  made  the  acquaintance  of  four  professors; 
two  I  met  last  night  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Glover,  a  clergyman 


1847]  Visits  Bonn.  161 

here,  wlio  kindly  invited  me  there.  Professor  Hasse,  and 
Professor  Dorner,  the  latter  one  of  the  first  men  in  Germany, 
very  lively  and  animated  in  his  talk,  and  very  deep  and  in- 
tense in  spiritual  life  and  feeling ;  he  has  succeeded  Nitzsch, 
whose  name  you  probably  know,  as  the  greatest  of  the  Ger- 
man Protestants.  The  other  two  Professors  are  Arndt  (a 
dehghtful  old  man),  and  Welcken.  But  I  am  stealing  this 
out  of  working  time,  so  adieu,  I  will  describe  them  hereafter. 
I  work  ten  hours  a  day  on  German.  I  send  you  a  piece  of 
poetry,  the  production  of  a  '  Truant  Hour '  this  week.  I 
think  you  will  like  it,  it  is  the  only  piece  I  have  written  for 
more  than  a  year  : — • 

"The  golden  stars  keep  watch,"  &c.'* 

"July  18. — I  shall  leave  this  place  with  regret,  having 
spent  many  profitable  hours  with  my  books,  and  met  with 
every  civility  and  kindness. 

"Yesterday  the  first  load  of  wheat  entered  Bonn  from  the 
present  harvest.  It  was  decorated  with  flags,  and  had  a  band 
of  music  on  it,  and  the  following  lines  inscribed  on  it  [the 
German  given] ,  i.  e.  in  English  : — 

"  He  who  clothes  the  lilies  and  birds  of  the  field, 
Hath  granted  onr  land  this  abundance  to  yield ; 
Now  the  usurers  mourn,  that  the  famine  is  o'er, 
And  bread  again  gladdens  the  heart  of  the  poor. 

"  The  abundance  here  is  really  astonishing.  I  was  told  to- 
day the  harvest  is  expected  to  be  three  times  the  average 
quantity,  and  the  grapes  even  more  than  that.  I  understand 
that  in  England  also,  every  thing  is  very  prosperous.  How 
can  we  be  thankful  enough  to  the  Giver  of  all  good  who  has 
thus  answered  (so  far  at  least)  our  prayers  ! 

"  July  22 . — I  must  now  conclude  my  last  letter.  Yesterday 
I  called  by  appointment  on  Professor  Scholz,  to  see  his  cabinet 
of  curiosities,  and  spent  three  hours  with  him,  and  was  very 
much  interested  by  his  various  and  curious  collections  of 
copper-plates,  wood-cuts,  memorials,  manuscripts,  and  every 
conceivable  thing,  which  he  has  brought  from  the  East  and 


8  "  Poems,"  p.  259. 


1 6 2  Life  of  Dea?i  A Iford.  [Chap.  IV. 

all  parts  of  tlie  world,  where  he  has  been  in  search  of  manu- 
scripts of  the  Scriptures.  I  have  just  had  a  visit  from  old 
Professor  Arndt,  a  glorious  old  fellow  of  nearly  eighty,  who 
was  the  object  of  Buonaparte's  persecutions  in  1807.  He  is 
the  author  of  the  famous  song, — 

'  Was  ist  des  Deutsclien  Vaterland  ? ' 

and  as  lively  and  active,  and  full  of  spirit  as  a  youth  of 
twenty.  Last  year  he  swam  across  the  Ehine  ;  he  talks  very 
loud,  and  is  full  of  all  sorts  of  information  and  good-humour. 
I  don't  know  when  I  have  seen  such  a  striking  old  man*. 

"  I  have  worked  harder,  and  lived  cheaper  here  than  I 
anticipated.  I  hope  I  have  facility  enough  now  to  read 
slowly  all  the  commentaries  which  I  want.  In  spirits  I  have 
never  drooped,  as  I  have  had  too  much  to  do.  When  tired 
of  my  German  work  I  have  taken  up  my  joui-nal,  having  the 
satisfaction,  that  I  was  recording  what  would  be  hereafter 
interesting  to  myself,  and  that  I  was  writing  to  my  dear  ones 
in  England.  If  God  will,  and  I  can  afford  it,  I  should  much 
like  to  repeat  it  next  year  with  you  and  the  dear  children." 

The  course  of  his  next  year  was  however  ordered  other- 
wise. In  that  year  of  revolutions  (1848),  few  summer 
tourists,  if  any,  ventured  to  visit  the  Continent.  France, 
after  prolonged  internal  struggles,  became  a  Republic 
under  Louis  Napoleon.  Louis  Philippe,  the  Emperor  of 
Austria,  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  the  Pope,  fled  from  their 
capitals.  Paris  was  for  four  months  in  a  state  of  siege,  and 
there  was  fighting  in  Milan,  Naples,  and  Messina,  Berlin, 
Munich,  Vienna,  Prague,  and  Madrid.  Wars  raged  between 
Austria  and  Sardinia,  Denmark  and  Prussia.  Our  own 
country  was  disquieted  by  the  Chartist  Demonstration  of 
AjDi'il  10,  on  Kenniugton  Common,  and  by  acts  of  sedition 
in  Ireland.  In  such  a  year  travelling  abroad  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  his  vacations  were  spent  as  we  shall  see,  in 
visits  to  the  West  of  England,  a  short  tour  in  Wales,  and  in 
the  North  of  Devonshire. 


'■'  IIo  was  born  iu  the  same  year  as  Napolcou,  17G9  :  and  died  in  1860. 


CHAPTER   V. 

1847—1851. 

Gives  up  Pupils — Publishes  another  Volume  of  Sermons — 
Publishes  the  First  Volume  of  Greek  Testament— Can- 
didate FOR  the  Regius  Professorship  of  Divinity,  Cam- 
bridge— Death  of  his  Eldest  Son. 

AFTER  his  return  from  Bonn  and  the  extension  of  his  ac- 
quaintance with  German  commentators,  the  magnitude 
of  the  work  which  he  had  undertaken  grew  upon  him.  Happy 
and  useful  as  his  life  was  at  Wymeswold  he  could  not  but 
perceive  that  the  combined  occupations  of  a  tutor  and  a 
parish  clergyman  were  scarcely  compatible  with  the  work  of 
a  commentator  on  the  entire  New  Testament.  He  therefore 
made  an  effort  to  obtain  a  change  of  situatioUj  whereby  with- 
out forsaking  the  active  ministerial  life  which  was  of  all  the 
most  congenial  to  him,  he  might  devote  the  time  now  absorbed 
in  tutorial  work  to  the  composition  of  his  Commentary.  With 
this  view  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Pepys  of  Worcester  (whose  son 
was  one  of  his  pupils  at  Wymeswold)  the  following  letter ;  to 
which  the  Bishop,  probably  from  want  of  a  suitable  oppor- 
tunity, did  not  then  give  the  desired  answer,  but  which  is 
inserted  here  as  a  faithful  description  of  his  views  at  this 
time : — 

To  THE  Bishop  of  Worcester. 

"  I  have  been  now  for  some  years  employed  on  an  edition 
of  the  Greek  Testament  for  the  use  of  students  in  the  Univer- 
sities ;  and  am  earnestly  endeavouring,  by  devoting  all  my 
energies  to  the  work,  to  produce  an  edition  more  worthy  of 
the  present  state  of  Biblical  criticism  than  any  which  wc  now 
M   2 


164  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

have.  The  work  is  one  of  Herculean  labour,  comprising  as  it 
does,  on  my  plan,  no  less  than  a  thorough  digest  of  various 
readings  founded  on  the  present  improved  collations  of  the 
principal  MSS.;  an  entirely  new  collection  of  references  not 
to  the  subject-matter,  but  to  verbal  and  constructional  usage, 
and  copious  English  notes  exegetical  and  philological.  It 
necessitates  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  what  has  been 
done  both  here  and  in  Germany  of  late  years,  and  collateral 
reading  of  various  kinds.  With  the  progress  of  the  work  an 
increasing  wish  has  possessed  my  mind  to  devote  myself 
wholly  to  it ;  and  indeed  I  see  no  reasonable  prospect  of 
completing  it  unless  I  can  do  so. 

^'  My  present  circumstances  however  wholly  preclude  this. 
I  may  be  excused  mentioning  that  since  my  residence  here 
I  have  felt  the  wants  of  the  parish  to  be  so  pressing  as  to 
wholly  prevent  my  accumulating  money.  The  church  twelve 
years  ago  was  tumbling  down;  there  were  no  schools,  or 
none  worthy  the  name  ;  no  habitable  parsonage.  These  are 
all  now  provided  for,  and  I  don't  know  which  way  to  turn. 
I  am  most  unwilling  to  give  up  that  to  which  I  look  as  the 
work  of  my  life,  and  for  which  I  do  believe  that  the  course 
of  my  studies  has  in  some  measure  fitted  me ;  and  yet  I  now 
feel  that  I  am  hindered  in  carrying  it  on,  when  perhaps  that 
hindrance  might  be  relieved  by  the  kindness  of  some  of  those 
who  have  taken  an  interest  in  me  and  my  pursuits.  I  am 
deeply  interested  in  the  work,  and  desire  no  reward  but 
being  spared  to  complete  it,^^ 

This  appeal  was  responded  to  afterwards  as  we  shall  see, 
but  meantime  he  had  to  plod  on  at  Wymeswold  for  six  more 
years. 

Soon  after  writing  to  the  Bishop  he  was  a  visitor  at  Hartle- 
bury  Castle,  as  will  appear  in  the  following  letter  to  his  wife, 
dated  from  Heale,  where  he  spent  part  of  his  'Christmas 
vacation : — 

"  Here  I  am  in  the  very  room  which  you  so  long  inhabited 
in  childhood  aud  youth,  which  I  i-emember  as  your  nursery 
under  all  sorts  of  circumstances  in  days  long  gone  by,  by  the 
same  blazing  fire  at  which  we  have  played  many  a  Christmas 


1848]  DeatJi  of  a  Sister-in-lazv.  165 

game.  Well,  God  be  praised  for  all  His  mercies  since.  It 
is  really  delightful  to  see  Eliza  Foster  in  her  nice  country 
home  as  blooming  as  ever,  with  her  simple  and  interesting 
way  of  speaking  and  laughing,  and  all  drawn  out  and 
brightened  by  the  newly-found  treasure  which  lies  quietly 
looking  up  in  her  affectionate  face ;  it  is  a  sight  to  make  one 
weep  for  joy  as  it  has  done  me. 

"  I  found  it  cold  at  Hartlebury  Castle,  where  I  have  been 
staying  for  a  few  days  with  the  Bishop  of  Worcester.  It  is 
rather  a  curious  house,  an  old  castle  battered  down  by  Crom- 
well, and  rebuilt  at  the  Hestoration  in  a  sort  of  sham-every- 
thing  kind  of  style,  but  very  substantial,  and  with  very  good 
rooms.  The  present  Bishop  has  done  much  to  it,  and  it  is 
now,  he  says,  the  best  episcopal  residence  in  England.^^ 

The  death  about  the  close  of  the  year  of  a  sister-in-law, 
Mrs.  Burford  Norman,  in  her  first  confinement,  called  forth 
these  reflections  : — 

"  My  dear  sister  Harriet  is  buried  to-day ;  the  brightest 
moon  is  now  shining  on  her  grave  at  the  east  end  of  the 
chancel  of  Curry  Eivell  church.  She  was  a  bright,  joyous 
creature,  the  delight  of  all  who  knew  her,  and  a  notable 
example  of  the  loving  spirit  which  is  in  Christ.  She  is  bask- 
ing in  the  sunshine  of  the  Divine  presence  ;  she  is  with  my 
dear  absent  babe  and  my  fond  mother,  all  in  glory  and  joy, 
with  no  speck  of  care,  nor  fear  of  blighting  frosts  to  come. 
May  I  and  mine  join  them  there  for  the  dear  sake  of  our 
Eedeemer — would  that  the  blessed  day  were  come  ! '' 

A  short  poem  beginning — 

"  Oh  for  one  word  of  that  Almighty  voice  ^" 

was  written  at  this  time. 

In  the  same  vacation  he  went  to  see  the  tomb  of  his  friend, 
Arthur  Hallam,  at  Clevedon,  which  he  thus  describes  : — 

''Jan.  4, 1848. — Came  here  by  rail ;  most  lovely  day,  beau- 
tiful situation  and  sea-view.  Visited  Arthur  Hallam\s  tomb. 
The  village  is  on  a  high  promontory  looking  over  the  Channel 


Poems,"  p.  143. 


1 66  Life  of  Dean  A  If  ord.  [Chap.  V. 

to  the  Welsli  coast;  balmy  air  and  clear  sky,  and  all  the 
houses  and  churches  in  Wales  glittering  in  the  sunshine.  A 
veil  of  cloud  resting  on  the  tops  of  the  Welsh  mountains. 
Sea  as  smooth  as  a  lake  ;  a  sight  and  day  to  be  remembered, 
and  recorded  to  my  dear  ones  at  home.^^ 

Whilst  thus  enjoying  his  short  emancipation  from  domestic 
work  he  was  not  unmindful  of  a  relation  who  in  sadness  of 
spirit  had  sought  a  change  of  scene  in  his  home.  Octavia 
Alford,  one  of  his  sisters-in-law,  was  naturally  of  a  melan- 
choly disposition,  and  was  a  constant  sufferer  from  organic 
disease.  Whilst  visiting  her  sister  at  Taunton  he  wrote  to  her 
the  following  letter,  which  seems  to  have  answered  its  purpose 
of  consolation  most  effectually  ',  for  when  she  died,  twelve 
years  afterwards,  it  was  found  in  her  pocket-book  carefully 
preserved,  and  bearing  marks  of  frequent  perusal. 

To  Miss  Octavia  Alfokd. 

"  I  am  spending  a  quiet  evening  alone,  and  feel  disposed, 
partly  from  the  subject  of  my  morning^s  sermon,  partly  from 
a  resolve  I  had  made,  to  write  to  you.  I  have  been  setting 
before  the  people  here  that  gracious  promise  and  exhortation 
of  our  dear  Eedeemer,  ^  Come  unto  Me,  all  that  labour  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.' 

"\  have  thought  much  of  you,  my  dear  sister,  in  connexion 
with  this  subject.  You  have  your  burden  to  bear,  and  your 
own  heart  knows  the  weight  of  it.  He  has  laid  it  on  you 
who  spoke  those  gracious  words ;  and  He  has  laid  it  on,  that 
you  might  come  to  Him,  that  you  might  in  child-like  sim- 
plicity of  heart  cast  that  burden  upon  Him,  and  He  will  give 
you  rest.  Yes,  doubt  not;  as  surely  as  you  in  simple  faith 
and  reliance  throw  yourself  and  all  you  have  and  desire  into 
the  hands  of  Jesus,  so  surely  shall  you  find  your  burden 
lightened  and  your  heart  cheered.  And  in  doing  this  go 
out  of  all  human  systems,  all  forms  and  all  ordinances  into 
the  immediate  contemplation  of  that  divine  and  loving  Saviour 
as  He  is  now  in  heaven  pleading  and  feeling  for  you.  Can 
He  break  His  own  promise  ?  Surely  not,  and  you  shall  find 
rest  unto  your  soul  by  this  simple  act  of  faith,  in  laying  your- 


1848]  Educatio7i  of  his  Children.  167 

self  into  His  hands.  Commune  with  Him  Himself,  in  all  His 
eternal  loveliness,  the  perfect  Man ;  in  all  His  eternal  power, 
the  perfect  God ;  and  your  spirit  shall  be  the  abode  of  His 
Spirit,  and  perfect  peace  shall  be  the  result. 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  sister,  for  presuming  thus  to  address 
you.  I  felt  instigated  to  do  so.  Something  said.  Is  there 
not  one  weary  and  heavy  laden  to  whom  such  a  message 
might  be  blessed,  and  are  there  not  yet  a  few  minutes  in 
which  it  might  be  delivered  ? 

"  I  hope  I  shall  find  you  when  I  come  home.  Do  not 
trouble  yourself  to  answer  this,  as  I  know  writing  tries  you. 
God  bless  you,  now  and  ever.'^ 

His  journal  records  in  the  beginning  of  1848  his  under- 
taking a  larger  and  more  distinct  share  in  the  education  of 
his  three  children,  to  whom  he  now  began  to  assign  two 
hours,  from  five  to  seven  every  evening.  Leaving  their 
other  lessons  to  the  kind  and  judicious  care  of  Miss  Mott, 
who  at  this  time  constantly  resided  as  a  friend  in  the  Vicar- 
age, he  himself  instructed  them  in  arithmetic,  Euclid,  the 
elements  of  natural  science  as  contained  in  Joyce^s  "  Dia- 
logues," and  the  Latin  Grammar.  He  was  also  particularly 
attentive  to  the  development  of  their  bodily  powers ;  and  a 
room  was  elaborately  fitted  up  for  the  practice  of  gymnastics, 
in  which  he  was  frequently  their  teacher. 

His  wish  for  a  change  of  situation,  which  prompted  the 
letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Worcester,  became  known  to  his 
parishioners  :  to  one  of  them  he  wrote  early  in  1848  : — 

*'I  am  determined,  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  offers  itself, 
to  leave  Wymeswold.  Something  has  been  done  here,  and 
very  much  more  than  I  had  any  right  to  expect,  still  I 
firmly  believe  and  am  persuaded  that  my  work  here  is  done. 
It  is  well  known  that  when  a  clergyman  has  made  extensive 
alterations  in  his  parish  he  works  at  a  disadvantage,  he  has 
stirred  up  ill-will,  or  provoked  coldness  among  many  of  his 
people ;  he  has  passed  through  brick  and  mortar,  and  bears 
the  stain  upon  him ;  he  has  been  mixed  in  tangled  worldly 
business,  and  is  distrusted ;  and  therefore  a  successor  has 
greatly  the  advantage  over  him,  who  enters  on  his  labours 


1 68  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  A'. 

with  all  men's  fair  wishes,  and  no  reason  for  making  enemies 
save  what  lies  in  his  own  work  itself/' 

In  March,  1848,  he  received  an  address  signed  by  above 
five  hundred  parishioners  who  "  had  heard  with  great  sur- 
prise and  regret  that  he  was  seriously  entertaining  the 
thought  of  resigning ''  the  living ;  and  they  "  anxiously  and 
seriously  entrea^ted  "  him  to  recall  his  determination.  In  his 
reply  he  acknowledged  having  thought  that  their  spiritual 
interests  might  now  be  confided  with  advantage  to  other 
hands  than  his  own ;  but  he  said  that  the  kindness  of  the 
address  removed  that  feeling,  and  he  now  felt  it  his  duty  to 
comply  with  their  request,  and  "  not  cast  aside  so  important 
an  instrument  of  usefulness  as  the  good  will  of  five  hundred 
parishioners/' 

After  this  the  thought  of  removing  seems  to  have  passed 
away  from  his  mind,  at  least  for  a  time  ;  and  he  again  settled 
down  to  his  various  duties  at  Wymeswold.  Among  these 
his  pastoral  work  called  for  much  thought,  for  it  was  his 
habit  to  enter  thoroughly  into  individual  cases.  Some  por- 
tion of  it  was  necessarily  entrusted  to  his  curate,  and  he 
took  great  pains  to  secure  colleagues  of  congenial  spirit  with 
himself.  Each  soul  was  treated  distinctly  as  a  part  of  the 
charge  committed  him.  Though  naturally  disposed  to  be 
reserved  and  shy,  he  did  not  seclude  himself  from  personal 
intercourse  with  any  of  his  parishioners  if  it  might  be  pro- 
fitable to  them.  Privately  as  well  as  publicly  his  gentle  and 
winning  sympathy  was  ready  to  be  offered  to  each  one  who 
sought  it,  whether  in  joy  or  sorrow.  Nor  did  he  omit  to  take 
any  suitable  opportunity  that  presented  itself  to  him  either 
to  correct  or  to  encourage  those  whom  he  desired  to  see 
walking  in  the  way  of  godliness. 

The  following  letters  will  illustrate  the  method  which  he 
pursued  in  his  pastoral  work.  The  first  was  written  to  a 
youth  who  had  occupied  a  subordinate  post  in  the  parish 
school,  and  who  had  quarrelled  with  his  immediate  su- 
perior : — 

"  I  thought  it  would  be  a  kindness  to  you  to  write  to  you 
on  the  subject  of  your  letter  to  the  National  School  master. 


1848]  Letters  to  Jiis  Parishioners.  169 

I  must  say  I  was  very  much  grieved  at  seeing  it ;  I  thought 
your  Christian  education  would  have  prevented  you  from 
ever  using  such  language  to  any  fellow-creature^  as  you  have 
been  foolish  enough  to  address  to  him.  I  am  sadly  afraid 
from  the  spirit  and  tone  of  your  letter^  that  you  have  fallen 
into  bad  company,  and  that  they  are  leading  you  astray.  I 
will  give  you  an  example  of  this ;  you  say,  '  Do  you  think  I 
will  ever  do  a  service  or  a  kindness  to  one  who  has  used 
me  thus  ?  No,  I  never  will.^  Now  let  me  ask  you,  is  this 
the  language  of  one  who  reads  his  Bible  and  knows  that 
Christ  has  commanded  us  to  love  our  enemies,  to  do  good 
to  those  who  despitefully  use  us  ?  Oh,  Joseph,  think  of 
this,    and  let  it   show  you  how  foolishly  you  have  acted. 

I  consider has  been  very   kind    to    you;    he    has 

let  you  off  several  payments  he  might  have  charged  you 
with,  and  you  ought  to  be  very  thankful  to  him,  instead  of 
being  induced  by  evil-minded  persons  where  you  are,  to 
try  and  blacken  his  character.  I  write  this  as  your  best 
friend,  to  endeavour  to  persuade  you  better.  You  are  young 
and  inexperienced,  and  depend  upon  it  if  you  go  on  thus 
you  will  get  into  great  trouble  before  long ;  do  think  of  what 
I  have  said  to  you,  and  above  all  of  what  you  have  learned 
and  read  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  may  God  give  you  a 
better  mind  for  Christ's  sake.  Your  affectionate  Minister." 
The  next  was  written  to  a  girl,  who,  having  been  brought 
up  in  the  parish  school  and  confirmed  at  Wymeswold,  had 
gone  out  to  domestic  service. 

"  I  have  received  two  letters  from  you,  and  have  been  very 
much  pleased  with  them.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  are  not  so 
well  again.  I  was  afraid  that  you  would  not  be  able  to  under- 
take a  place  so  soon  after  your  illness ;  you  have  been  won- 
derfully raised  up  as  it  is,  and  you  should  be  very  thankful 
to  your  gTacious  Father  and  God  who  has  brought  you  out 
of  the  jaws  of  death  almost  to  health  and  strength  agaia. 
You  must  never  forget  that  you  are  the  Lord's  child,  and 
bought  with  Christ's  most  precious  blood ;  be  sure  to  en- 
deavour to  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  your  Saviour  in  all 
things,  by  meekness  and  patience,  by  faith  and  hope,  by 


I70  Life  of  Dean  A  IfoJ'd.  [Chap.  V. 

prayer  and  praise,  by  humility  and  holiness.  Think  on 
yourself  as  one  for  whom  Christ  has  died,  how  precious  must 
such  a  one  be  to  Him,  and  how  earnestly  should  you  strive 
to  keep  that  robe  of  His  spotless  righteousness  with  which 
His  grace  has  clothed  you.  I  am  writing  this  to  you  as 
being  a  child  of  God,  which  I  hope  and  trust  you  are,  and 
will  continue  ;  if  you  fall  away  to  this  wretched  world,  God^s 
promises  and  His  inheritance  will  cease  to  be  yours,  and  what 
a  thing  that  would  be.  I  shall  never  cease  praying  for  you 
that  you  may  endure  unto  the  end,  and  be  found  among  the 
elect  of  the  Lord,  at  His  glorious  coming  to  take  His  king- 
dom. God  bless  you,  and  give  you  a  large  measure  of  His 
Holy  Spirit. 

''  I  am,  your  affectionate  Minister,  and  brother  in  the  Lord." 

The  next  was  written  to  an  experienced  brother  clergy- 
man, whom  he  asks  to  help  him  in  seeking  for  a  curate. 
It  was  evidently  written  after  he  had  been  disappointed  by 
the  conduct  of  one  whose  work  at  Wymeswold  was  not  alto- 
gether beneficial  to  the  parish. 

'^  I  want  him  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ,  and  not 
the  Church ;  and  to  be  fully  prepared  to  recognize  the  pious 
Dissenter  as  a  brother  in  Christ,  and  as  much  a  member  of 
the  Church  as  ourselves.  If  you  know  of  such  a  man,  it  will 
be  a  real  kindness  to  put  me  in  communication  with  him.  I 
would  add,  I  cannot  from  the  nature  of  the  case  work  actively 
with  my  curate.  Some  little  experience  in  parochial  work  is 
desirable ;  a  very  young  man  would  not  suit  me.  Above  all, 
he  should  be  a  man  of  peace,  who  will  quietly  do  his  own 
work  and  not  breed  strife." 

The  next  refers  to  a  rather  unusual  incident.  A  parishioner 
notoriously  culpable  for  his  inadequate  discharge  of  certain 
official  duties  received  a  private  remonstrance  from  his 
pastor,  the  force  of  which  he  attempted  to  evade  by  angrily 
retaliating  with  a  charge  of  negligence.  In  the  course  of  the 
day  the  following  was  sent  to  him  by  his  vicar : — 

"  Regarding  my  own  pastoral  deficiencies,  I  heartily  thank 
you.  I  am  deeply  aware  that  I  am  not  '  sufficient  for  these 
things,'  and  only  wish  my  place  were  better  filled.     At  the 


1848]  Letters  to  his  Parishioners.  171 

same  time,  the  deficiencies  of  one  man  do  not  excuse 
another.  Let  us  both  strive  and  pray  that  we  may  be  found 
diligent  in  our  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  sei-ving  the  Lord 
our  God,  and  do  our  best  to  live  in  charity  and  peace  with 
one  another  and  with  all  men. 

^'  Believe  me,  your  afiectionate  Minister  and  friend." 

Another  parishioner,  after  long  withdrawing  himself  from 
the  Holy  Communion,  wrote  to  ask  permission  to  accompany 
his  wife  to  the  Lord's  table,  and  then  to  go  away  without 
partaking  himself  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  There  were  sufiicient 
reasons  to  surmise  that  the  cause  of  his  extraordinary  pro- 
posal was  the  consciousness  of  cherishing  enmity.  The 
following  letter,  written  to  him  by  his  vicar,  had  the  desired 
effect : — 

"  The  only  hindrance  which  the  Church  recognizes,  or 
which  I  can  conceive  to  a  man's  receiving  the  Holy  Com- 
munion in  such  cases,  is  the  existence  of  vindictive  feelings 
in  his  own  bosom.  The  conduct  of  others,  it  will  be  plain 
to  you,  cannot  affect  a  man  in  his  estimate  of  the  duty  of 
communicating.  Believing  this  proposition  to  be  self-evident, 
it  certainly  strikes  me  that  to  attend  and  not  to  partake 
would  be  to  make  an  open  profession  at  the  Lord's  table  of 
being  actuated  by  vindictive  feelings,  a  thing  which  I  am 
sure  would  be  very  far  from  your  intention  and  frame  of 
mind.  I  just  state  the  matter  as  it  strikes  me,  and  as  I  am 
sure  it  would  strike  any  indifferent  person  qualified  to  form 
a  judgment.  Hoping  you  will  find  in  this  and  all  other 
cases  guidance  from  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  love, 

"  Affectionately  yours,  my  dear  friend." 

In  the  summer  of  1848  he  left  Wymeswold  for  the  purpose 
of  officiating  at  the  wedding  of  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  S.  S. 
Alford,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liverpool,  and  afterwards 
went  to  spend  a  few  days  in  North  Wales.  A  few  descrip- 
tive extracts  from  his  journal  will  be  read  with  interest : — 

'^  At  Carnarvon  the  castle,  where  Edward  II.  was  born,  is 
very  striking.  From  thence  I  went  in  a  carriage  to  Llan- 
berris.     On  mounting  a  hill  and  looking  back,  the  whole  of 


172      -  Life  of  DeaJi  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

Anglesea  is  seen,  the  heights  of  Holyhead  in  the  distance, 
and  the  town  and  castle  of  Carnarvon  beneath  one's  feet. 

"  Soon  the  mountains  are  approached,  and  the  road  de- 
scends to  the  Lake  of  Llanberris.  My  first  view  of  this  was 
very  striking.  The  lake  is  discovered  suddenly,  the  red  light 
of  the  sunset  was  clothing  the  hills  and  rocks  with  rosy  tints, 
and  the  top  of  Snowdon  was  hidden  in  a  bright  illuminated 
cloud.  The  mountain  scenery  far  surpasses  any  thing  I  had 
imagined,  and  is  certainly  much  superior  to  the  English 
lakes.  We  started  with  a  guide  the  next  day  for  Snowdon. 
The  ascent  was  easy  for  some  distance,  by-and-by  very 
steep.  The  top  was  hidden  in  clouds  and  rain  all  the  time 
we  were  there,  and  consequently  we  saw  nothing ;  but  the 
savage  grandeur  of  the  summit  far  surpasses  any  mountain  I 
have  ever  seen.  Yast  black  masses  of  spiral  rock  compose 
it,  through  which  the  path  winds. 

"  On  descending,  imagining  we  must  be  content  with  the 
grandeur  of  the  summit  itself,  a  sudden  exclamation  from 
the  guide  directed  our  attention  to  the  Lake  of  Llanberris, 
seen  through  a  gap  in  the  clouds.  From  this  time  the  view 
was  most  magnificent;  one  bright  place  after  another  ap- 
peared, and  finally  the  whole  curtain  of  clouds  drew  up  and 
revealed  the  various  surrounding  mountain  passes.  I  never 
in  any  of  my  tours  saw  a  mountain  scene  so  picturesquely 
beautiful  as  the  pass  of  Llanberris,  glittering  in  the  sun  like 
silver,  every  rock  distinctly  marked,  the  white  streams  and 
waterfalls  threading  the  little  defiles,  and  the  intense  green 
of  the  valley  below.''' 

Returning  to  Wymeswold  after  his  brief  journey  in  Wales, 
he  took  his  wife  and  children,  and  their  friend  Miss  Mott,  to 
spend  a  summer  holiday  on  the  north  coast  of  Devonshire. 

The  lodging  which  they  occupied  at  Linton  was  near  a 
bridge  across  the  Lynn,  and  the  window  of  their  sitting- 
room  looked  down  upon  the  stream.  In  the  dry  season, 
when  they  arrived,  the  supply  of  water  was  scanty,  and  the 
incessant  noise  made  by  the  shallow  stream  in  its  course 
through  its  rocky  channel  to  the  sea  became  an  annoyance 
to  the  family.    One  morning  they  were  struck  by  the  perfect 


1848]         Lectttres  on  the  Fifth  Covimandinent.       173 

stillness  of  the  river,  the  cause  of  which  proved  to  be  the 
advance  of  the  spring-tide  up  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  lb 
is  one  of  the  many  indications  of  his  habit  of  observing  and 
recording  all  natural  phenomena  that  he  made  use  of  this 
incident  eight  years  afterwards,  when,  preaching  in  London 
a  sermon  on  church-building*,  he  wished  to  illustrate  (after 
quoting)  the  well-known  saying  of  Dr.  Chalmers  on  "the 
expulsive  power  of  a  new  affection,^^  and  he  thus  refers  to 
our  morning's  surprise  at  Linton  :  — 

"  I  remember  once,  during  the  summer  weeks,  fixing  our 
lodging  on  the  sea-coast  close  to  the  roar  of  a  torrent,  which 
chafed  beneath  our  windows.  Morning,  noon,  and  night  it 
was  the  same.  Conversation  and  reading  required  exertion, 
and  before  long  we  grew  thoroughly  weary  of  the  incessant 
din  around  us.  But  one  morning  we  awoke  and  all  was 
still.  The  spring-tide  had  come  up  the  water- course  and 
flooded  out  the  noisy  torrent.  You  might  have  toiled  long 
to  silence  that  unceasing  roar;  you  might  have  removed 
stone  after  stone  and  smoothed  the  channel,  but  the  next 
rains  would  have  brought  down  more ;  no  amount  of  labour 
and  expense  would  ever  have  produced  the  effect  which  the 
fulness  of  the  ocean  produced  that  morning.  And  so  it  is 
with  our  vast  and  neglected  districts,  seething  in  profligacy 
and  wrong,  sending  up  to  heaven  their  unceasing  cry  of 
iniquity  and  excess.  You  may  remove  a  mischief  here, 
and  may  smooth  a  rough  place  there ;  but  the  turmoil  will 
return  as  loud  as  ever.  Nothing  but  the  great  deep  of 
God's  mercies  will  ever  sufiice  to  flood  out  this  tumult 
of  sin." 

A  small  work  of  his  was  published  about  this  time  under 
the  title  of  "Four  Lectures  on  the  Influence  of  the  Fifth 
Commandment  as  the  great  Moral  Principle  of  Love  of 
Country  and  Obedience  to  constituted  Authorities."  The 
history  of  this  publication  is  told  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  his  father  : — 

"  I  have  a  little  piece  of  good  news  to  tell  you  which  I  know 


2  See  "  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons,"  Vol.  V.  on  "  Christian  Doctrine,"  p.  211. 
Sermon  16. 


174  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

will  give  you  pleasure.  Some  geutlemen  connected  with  the 
City  of  London  School  last  winter  proposed  a  prize  to  be 
written  for  in  the  shape  of  four  lectures  on  the  Fifth  Com- 
mandment^ showing  that  the  divine  command  therein  con- 
tained was  the  basis  of  social  and  patriotic  affections.  These 
lectures  employed  my  leisure  time  last  Christmas  whilst 
visiting  you^  and  working  at  all  sorts  of  odd  times  and  whilst 
travelUng.  The  decision  has  been  made,  and  I  am  the 
successful  candidate.  The  premium  is  £80.  I  kept  my 
intention  entirely  to  myself." 

The  editor  of  the  "  English  Eeview  "  having  inserted  in  that 
periodical  an  article  "  On  Tendencies  towards  the  Subversion 
of  Faith/^  drew  forth  a  somewhat  severe  pamphlet  from 
Archdeacon  Hare,  entitled  "  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness 
against  thy  neighbour ;"  in  which,  amongst  other  things,  the 
Archdeacon  entered  into  a  warm  commendation  of  Olshausen^s 
"  Commentary,'-'  and  expatiated  on  the  benefit  which  English 
clergymen  might  derive  from  studying  German  theology. 
The  Archdeacon  sent  in  the  spring  of  1849  a  copy  of  his 
pamphlet  to  my  husband,  and  received  the  following  letter  in 
acknowledgment  of  it : — 

"  I  return  you  my  best  thanks  for  your  interesting  and 
important  pamphlet.  I  had  just  taken  up  the '  English  Review' 
during  a  morning's  call  at  a  friend's  house,  and  had  seen  in 
a  few  minutes  enough  to  show  that  an  answer  was  required. 

I  do  hope  your  answer  may  preserve  many  earnest 

minds  from  being  misled As  regards  myself,  I  am 

fully  prepared,  however  unworthy,  to  cast  in  my  lot  among 
those  who  are  digging  in  the  soil  of  Scripture  for  the  precious 
truth  that  lies  beneath ;  and  I  cannot  feel  grateful  enough  to 
those  German  writers  who  have  done  so  much  of  the  heaviest 
earthwork  before  me — some,  I  own,  in  the  wrong  direction 
and  leading  only  to  disappointment;  but  some  also  in  the 
right  one,  and  that  one  untried  before.  I  have  been  painfully 
struck  as  I  have  advanced  in  my  work  with  the  dishonesty 
of  our  English  commentators  in  concealing  difficulties,  or 
solving  them  in  a  manner  which  must  be  even  to  themselves 
unsatisfactory.     I  am  now  deep  in  St.  John,  in  which  I  find 


1849]  Advice  on  entering  Holy  Orders.  175 

the  most  valuable  helps  to  be  Liicke's  '  Commentary  ^  and 
De  Wette's  '  Handbuch/  I  hope  my  first  volume  may  be 
in  the  press  by  Midsummer.  The  work  is  one  which  I  should 
not  have  undertaken  had  I  at  first  known  the  amount  of 
labour  required  ;  but  whatever  may  be  the  amount  of  good 
done  to  others,  I  never  can  regret  having  been  led  to  un- 
dertake it,  as  it  has  been  the  means  of  emancipating  and 
strengthening  my  own  faith/^ 

A  young  friend,  whom  he  knew  intimately,  and  to  whom 
he  was  much  attached,  applied  to  him  about  the  spring  of 
1849  for  advice  on  the  question  of  entering  into  Holy  Orders. 
His  answer,  which  was  very  full,  was  as  follows : — 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  and  welcome  letter,  which  I 
will  try  to  answer  as  well  as  I  am  able.  I  will  reply  first  to 
your  first  inquiry.  I  should  certainly  say  that  a  constant 
desire  to  enter  the  ministry,  provided  it  be  not  as  a  life  of 
ease  or  a  life  of  aflBuence,  but  with  a  serious  view  to  the  per- 
formance of  its  duties,  quite  answers  to  the  call  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  intended  by  the  Church  in  her  Ordination  Service.  I 
acted  on  this  in  my  own  case,  and  should  not  scruple  to  advise 
you,  if  the  desire  should  continue,  to  do  the  same.  As  regards 
the  second  question,  I  do  not  myself  hold  any  such  thing  as 
Apostolic  Succession  or  a  derivation  of  authority  by  virtue  of 
which  we  are  ministers  of  Christ.  I  see  no  warrant  for  such 
a  belief  in  Scripture,  and  think  it  to  be  contrary  to  the  spirit 
of  the  Lord's  promise  that  He  will  be  with  His  Church 
always,  not  by  delegation  or  succession,  but  by  His  Holy 
Spirit  even  to  the  end  of  the  world.  If  I  derive  my  official 
authority  through  a  stream  of  human  hands,  then  I  do  not 
derive  it  immediately  from  the  Lord  Himself,  as  I  firmly  be- 
lieve to  be  the  case.  It  may  be  a  fact,  and  an  interesting 
one,  that  our  orders  are  traceable  to  Apostolic  Succession ; 
but  it  is  the  same  kind  of  interest  as  attaches  to  a  venerable 
building,  or  any  thing  else  ancient,  not  therefore  one  whit  the 
better  for  its  purpose,  but  only  more  venerable.  But  then  you 
may  say  how  difiers  the  Church  from  a  sect  ?  This  question  I 
answer  on  entirely  different  grounds,  viz.  from  consideration 
of  the  duty  of  unity  among  Christians  and  the  sinfulness  of 


1 76  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

those  who  break  that  unity  needlessly.  By  unity  I  do 
not  mean  conformity;  nor  by  breaking  unity  do  I  mean 
having  a  different  form  of  Church  government — but  by  unity 
I  mean  unity  of  spirit^  true  charity,  and  Christian  love ;  and 
by  the  breach  of  it,  the  kind  of  hatred  which  modern  English 
dissenters  show  to  the  Church  of  this  land.  With  regard  to 
conformity,  I  should  endeavour  to  judge  fairly  of  the  objec- 
tions which  the  sects  have,  and  see  whether  they  are  sufficient 
to  justify  their  position.  Certainly  not,  I  should  say  in  the  case 
of  Wesleyans,  Baptists,  &c.  Then  if  not,  their  separation  is 
unchristian;  in  fact,  as  every  one  knows,  the  majority  of 
separatists  just  split  from  us  because  they  want,  in  the  natural 
vanity  of  the  human  heart,  to  set  up  for  themselves,  and  are 
averse  to  any  obedience  to  constituted  authorities.  With 
Quakers  and  some  few  others  I  believe  the  case  to  be  diffe- 
rent ;  then  they  come  under  the  former  head,  and  all  Christian 
kindness  and  absence  of  hostility  ought  to  be  manifested 
mutually.  You  will  see  that  my  ground  is  what  would  be 
called  by  many  that  of  unlimited  private  judgment.  I  own 
it,  but  I  look  on  it  in  a  very  different  light.  I  view  it  as  the 
Scriptm-al  ground  of  chm'chmanship,  which  represents  to  us 
no  undeviating  form  of  government  nor  universal  pattern  of 
Church  ministry,  but  tells  us  that  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  guide 
into  truth,  those  who  walk  in  love  and  seek  His  guidance. 
In  Christ  Jesus  Episcopacy  is  nothing,  and  non-Ejaiscopacy 
is  nothing,  but  the  new  creature;  and  in  whatever  way  the 
spiritual  temple  of  the  Lord  may  be  best  reared  under  the 
various  circumstances  which  His  providence  has  appointed, 
in  that  way  would  I  humbly  acquiesce,  whether  Episcopacy 
or  Presbytery,  or  whatever  else  it  be  called.  I  find  my  own 
place  and  office  in  the  Church  of  England.  She  appeals  to 
the  written  Word,  and  gives  me  therefore  the  great  warrant 
that  I  am  in  the  way  of  the  Spirit,  whose  witness  that  Word 
is ;  and  she  oppresses  no  man's  conscience,  but  sends  us  to 
God's  Word  to  see  whether  these  things  are  so.  If  she  did 
the  contrary,  if  she  oppressed  the  conscience,  commanded 
me  to  adore  baker's  bread,  or  bow  to  the  day's  work  of  a 
stonemason,  I  would  as  unscrupulously  leave  her  and  become 


1849]  Letter  on  Private  Judgment,  &c.  I'j'j 

a  dissenter  as  I  now  gladly  adhei'e  to^  and  minister  in  her 
communion.  I  think  I  have  now  answered  your  questions, 
I  am  afraid  not  satisfactorily,  but  as  well  as  I  could.  Do 
write  again,  and  never  scruple  to  ask  or  impart  any  thing 
which  you  think  requisite. 

"  P.S. — What  I  said  about  leaving  the  Church  of  England, 
is  only  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  the  extreme  case  of 
her  commanding  what  God  forbids.  Remember  this ;  for  I 
believe  otherwise  all  dissent  to  be  in  its  nature  wrong.^' 

As  a  further  illustration  of  his  opinion  on  the  questions  of 
the  right  of  private  judgment  and  of  Church  authority,  the 
following  letter  is  added  here.  The  name  of  the  person  to 
whom  it  was  addressed  has  not  been  preserved: — 

"  I  cannot  hold  that  the  voice  of  God's  (visible,  audible) 
Church  from  the  beginning,  even  if  able  to  be  ascertained, 
has  power  to  declare  the  sense  of  Scripture  in  any  such  way 
that  we  can  collect  that  sense  from  it.  I  find  in  the  course 
of  my  critical  labours  that  the  Fathers,  even  when  unanimous, 
were  often  beyond  doubt  wrong  from  the  imperfection  of 
critical  research  in  their  day,  or  the  prevalence  of  inadequate 
methods  of  interpretation.  If  the  Lord  by  His  Spirit  is  now 
with  us,  guiding  us  into  all  truth,  why  should  we  be  depen- 
dent on  the  sense  given  to  His  Word  ages  ago,  and  not  free 
to  discover  it  for  ourselves  ?  I  have  always  deprecated  and 
held  off  from  party  in  the  Church,  claiming  for  myself  to 
follow,  in  humble  dependence  on  divine  guidance,  that  which 
may  seem  to  my  own  judgment,  and  in  subjection  to  autho- 
rity, to  be  right.  Thus  1  have  been  classed  among  all  parties 
in  turn  by  those  who  have  not  known  me,  and  at  the  very 
time  that  I  was  on  one  side  accused  of  Romanizing  ten- 
dencies, I  was  being  shown  up  by  a  Nottingham  paper  for 
Liberalism  and  Low  Churchmanship  on  account  of  my  support 
of  a  Mechanics'  Institute  there. 

"  I  believe  that  there  are  persons  looking  above  their 
system,  and  living  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God  Himself,  con- 
stituting that  great  family,  one  of  a  city  and  two  of  a  tribe, 
who  shall  be  the  Lord's  at  His  coming.  And  with  all  such 
persons,  whenever  I  find  them,  I  am  desirous  and  ready  to  unite 

N 


178  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

on  tlie  common  ground  of  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified, 
reserving  for  proper  times  spiritual  opposition  to  the  errors 
of  the  system.  I  rejoice  that  we  can  look  out  of  and  above 
all  outward  Church  systems  to  our  dear  Saviour,  who  is  to 
us  the  source  of  all  life,  and  in  whom  we  stand  accepted  be- 
fore God.  May  we  be  gathered  unto  Him  in  the  day  of  Hia 
glorious  coming ;  may  we  have  preached  and  laboured  for 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  have  abundant  seals  to  our 
ministry !  ^' 

In  the  summer  of  1849  he  carried  into  effect  a  resolution 
which  he  had  long  been  forming,  being  led  to  it  jDrincipally 
by  the  increasing  work  connected  with  his  Commentary 
on  the  Greek  Testament.  His  journal,  on  June  9,  contains 
this  entry,  "  Pupils  left  for  ever.  After  seventeen  years  my- 
self a  pupil,  and  seventeen  years  chained  to  pupils,  at  last 
free !     However,  much  to  be  thankful  for." 

Since  he  took  his  degree  he  had  had  not  less  than  sixty 
pupils ;  many  of  them  have  been  mentioned  by  name  in  this 
Memoir.  Three  of  them  are  now  in  the  House  of  Peers, 
five  or  six  are  or  were  in  the  House  of  Commons,  twelve 
became  clergymen,  and  nearly  as  many  barristers.  It  was 
not  without  regret  that  this  step  was  taken ;  its  effect  was 
the  loss  of  some  agreeable  society,  and  a  diminution  of  income 
which  created  a  little  difl&culty;  but  it  left  him  more  at 
leisure  for  study  and  for  the  education  of  his  children,  to 
which  he  now  regularly  devoted  more  time. 

In  the  same  month  in  which  he  parted  from  his  last  pupils 
he  took  his  two  youngest  children,  Mary  and  Ambrose,  for  a 
visit  to  their  grandfather  at  Toubridge,  to  which  a  very  short 
trip  to  France  was  added.     In  his  journal  he  says  : — 

''June  12. — Lionized  Mary  and  Ambrose  in  town,  then  to 
Tonb ridge  with  them;  on  26th  took  them  from Tonbridge  to 
Folkestone,  and  crossed  over  to  Boulogne  and  on  to  A.miens  by 
rail,  and  saw  the  cathedral ;  magnificent,  pure  Gothic.  27th. 
Cathedral  again,  walked  round  the  town,  very  hot ;  returned 
to  Boulogne,  and  walked  up  the  cliffs  to  the  Napoleon  column. 
28th.  Beautiful  bathe  on  the  sands  with  the  children ;  off  for 
Folkestone  at  three ;  some  Hungarian  refugees  on  board." 


1849]       Fh'st  volume  of  his  Greek  Testament.         179 

On  his  return  to  Wymeswold  he  was  fully  employed  in 
seeing  through  the  press  the  first  volume  of  his  Greek  Testa- 
ment and  a  volume  of  Sermons.  The  latter  of  these  works 
was  published  by  subscription  ''  in  the  hope  of  diminishing 
the  author^s  somewhat  heavy  share  of  various  necessary 
parochial  works  undertaken  at  Wymeswold."  It  included 
twenty-three  sermons  *.  In  the  following  letter  to  his  father 
he  refers  to  these  works  : — 

"  I  have  been  busy  this  week  getting  ready  for  the  press 
my  volume  of  Sermons,  and  have  sent  ofi"  about  half  of  it  to 
the  publishers ;  so  that  I  have  now  abundance  of  press  work 
going  on.  My  Greek  Testament  is  approaching  its  comple- 
tion,  we  are  printing  John  vii.,  and  have  six  or  seven  more 
sheets  to  complete.  I  hope  by  October  25  to  be  in  manihus 
homimim  ;  and  then  comes  the  struggle  with  I  expect  almost 

every  party,  and  party  organ  in   the  country So 

that  it  will  be  well  if  the  English  Church  does  not  cast 
off  her  recreant  son,  and  put  my  book  into  an  Index  expur- 
gatorius,  thickening  up  the  gloom  of  the  approaching  Novem- 
ber, not,  however,  without  brighter  spots  of  consciousness 
that  I  have  humbly  and  earnestly  laboured  at  God^s  Word, 
in  God's  strength,  and  of  hope  that  those  few  among  us  who 
really  are  students  of  Scripture  may  give  me  quarter,  and 
regard  my  book  as  a  contribution,  however  humble,  to  the 
understanding  of  it.'"* 

The  first  volume  of  his  Greek  Testament  was  published  in 
November.  Perhaps  the  truest  estimate  of  the  labour  which 
it  cost  him  would  be  formed  by  comparing  it  with  the  editions 
of  Valpy,  Bloomfield,  and  Burton,  which  preceded  it.  It 
difiered  from  these  not  only  in  the  unsparing  pains  of  which 
nearly  every  line  bore  testimony,  but  in  the  originality  and 
comprehensiveness  of  its  plan.  It  offered  to  ordinary  English 
theological  students  the  results  of  the  labours  of  Lachmann 
and  (to  some  extent)  of  Tischendorf  on  the  text,  and  a  new 
digest  of  various  readings  ;  it  supplied  a  new  body  of  marginal 
references  intended  to  illustrate  not  the  subject-matter  of  the 


'  Six  of  the  sermons  in  this  book  were  never  preached,  one  of  these  con- 
tains many  original  remarks  on  Funeral  Pomp,  on  the  text  Genesis  iii.  19. 

T^    9 


i8o  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  V. 

text^  but  verbal  and  idiomatic  usages.  In  the  Prolegomena 
and  the  Commentary  it  opened,  almost  for  the  first  time 
to  the  English  reader,  the  stores  of  learning  which  had 
been  accumulated  in  Germany  by  more  than  one  generation 
of  critics.  No  previous  editor  of  the  Greek  Testament  had 
been  so  conversant  as  he  was  with  the  vernacular  language 
in  which  those  stores  were  deposited.  At  the  end  of  this 
Memoir  will  be  found  some  estimate  by  able  and  fi-iendly 
scholars  not  only  of  the  intellectual  powers  which  he  brought 
to  his  task,  but  also  of  the  effect  of  his  Greek  Testament  as 
a  whole  in  increasing  the  Biblical  knowledge  of  his  contem- 
poraries. I  will  only  add  now  that  the  first  edition  of  the 
first  volume  was  the  fruit  of  assiduous  labour  for  three  or 
four  years ;  that  it  contained  about  750  pages,  which  were 
increased  to  upwards  of  1000  in  succeeding  editions,  and 
that  the  principles  on  which  the  text  was  arranged  and  the 
conclusions  arrived  at  in  some  of  the  notes  were  modified  in 
later  editions.  It  was  not  till  more  than  a  year  after  its 
publication  that  it  became  the  subject  of  elaborate  criticism 
in  the  leading  quarterly  periodicals.  Soon  after  it  came  out 
he  wrote  to  his  father  : — 

"  In  the '  Morning  Post'  there  is  a  long  and  most  favourable 
review  of  my  Greek  Testament,  speaking  of  it  in  the  highest 
terms ;  in  short,  calculated  to  do  it  and  me  much  good.'' 

Early  in  1850  we  were  invited  to  visit  Bel  voir  Castle, 
which  was  a  seat  of  princely  hospitality  to  a  very  extensive 
neighbourhood.  The  visit  was  an  agreeable  relaxation  to 
him  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  as  will  appear  from  the  follow- 
ing letter  written  to  me  from  thence — 

"  I  do  indeed  wish  you  had  managed  to  have  come  here. 
We  have  a  party  of  thirty,  the  star  of  whom  is  Madame 
Sontag,  who  has  just  been  singing  so  as  fairly  to  make  the 
tears  run  down  my  cheeks ;  then  there  is  Elliot  Warburton  * 


*  Two  of  the  distinguished  persons  mentioned  in  this  letter  were  con- 
nected with  signal  calamities.  The  husband  of  Madame  Sontag,  Count 
Rossi,  was  barbarously  murdered  in  Home,  Nov.  15, 1848 ;  and  Mr.  Warburton 
perished  in  the  conflagration  of  the  "  Amazon,"  near  the  Scilly  Islands, 
January,  1852. 


1850]        Candidate  for  Divinity  Professorship.         1 8 1 

and  his  wife ;  and  to-day  Mr.  Disraeli  and  his  wife  are  coming, 
and  the  rest  are  mostly  members  of  the  numerous  family  of 
Manners.  And  here,  who  do  you  think  I  find  located  as 
domestic  chaplain,  living  here  all  the  year  round?  No 
other  than  my  old  school-fellow  at  Ilminster,  Philip  Mules. 

''  Every  thing  is  done  in  the  most  princely  way  here.  The 
Duke's  band  in  uniform  play  us  in  to  dinner,  and  at  intervals 
during  dinner,  and  after  dinner  they  come  and  sing  glees, 
&c.  Then  at  ten  o'clock  they  play  in  the  great  hall,  and  go 
on  till  half-past  twelve,  when  they  are  dismissed.  My  room 
is  a  long  way  up  one  of  the  towers,  a  very  nice  comfort- 
able room,  but  nothing  splendid.  At  half-past  nine  there 
are  prayers  in  the  chapel,  and  breakfast  at  half-past  ten. 
It  is  altogether  a  strange  and  pleasant  visit.  I  have  not 
been  idle ;  on  my  way  here  I  read  a  whole  work  of  Ter- 
tullian,  and  before  dinner  yesterday  went  on  with  my  last 
sermon. 

"  I  find  I  am  fortunate,  for  they  only  began  living  in  state 
the  day  before  yesterday ;  they  only  do  so  when  the  house 
is  full." 

The  appointment  of  Dr.  Ollivant  to  the  Bishopric  of 
Llandafi",  in  1849,  left  a  vacancy  in  the  Eegius  Professorship  in 
Cambridge,  and  Henry  Alford  was  one  of  the  candidates  for 
the  chair.  With  a  view  to  this,  he  took  his  B.D.  degree  in 
November,  1 849,  having  preached  before  the  University  as 
an  exercise  for  the  degree,  a  Sermon  "  On  the  Inspiration 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures."  Throughout  January,  1850,  he 
describes  himself  as  "preparing  for  my  examination  for  the 
Eegius  Professorship  which,  however,  I  have  no  chance  of 
getting.  God  will  do  for  the  best  I  doubt  not;"  and  on 
February  14th  he  read  in  the  schools  at  Cambridge  a  Prae- 
lectio  on  the  Authorship  and  Address  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Ephesians.  He  received  on  the  16th  a  telegram  announcing 
that  the  choice  of  the  Electors  had  fallen  on  Dr.  Jeremie 
(afterwards  Dean  of  Lincoln) . 

In  the  beginning  of  April  he  mentions  meeting  at  Remp- 
stone  Hall,  Mr.  I.  0.  Wright.  "  Much  talk  with  him  about 
Homer  J   I  agreed  to  do  the  Odyssey,  and  next  day  began  it." 


1 82  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d,  [Chap.  V. 

When  his  translation  was  published  ten  years  afterwards^  it 
was  dedicated  to  this  friend. 

A  family  trip  from  Wymeswold  to  Somersetshire  and  the 
coast  of  North  Devonshire  was  planned  for  this  summer. 
It  was  destined  to  be  darkened  by  the  sadden  death  of 
Ambrose  our  only  boy,  then  in  his  eleventh  year.  No  fore- 
shadow whatever  of  this  great  affliction  fell  on  us  when  we 
left  home  full  of  bright  expectations.  Two  extracts  from 
letters  to  his  father  will  show  how  my  beloved  husband 
looked  forward  to  this  journey,  and  how  the  early  part  of  it 
was  spent : — 

To  THE  Kev.  H.  Altord,  Senior. 

"  We  leave  home  on  the  29th  July  and  hope  to  get  six 
weeks  clear  at  the  sea.  My  Greek  Testament  goes  on  but 
slowly ;  I  am  writing  notes  on  the  Acts,  and  find  plenty  of 
difficulties  to  grapple  with.  At  the  sea  I  shall  have  nothing 
but  references  and  routine  work. 

"  Poor  Sir  Eobert  Peel ' !  it  seems  a  melancholy  end  for 
a  public  man,  and  just  now  very  mysterious,  but  God  knows 
what  is  best.*^ 

This  was  written  also  to  his  father  from  our  lodgings, 
Carey  Arms,  Babbicombe — 

"  Augu&t  16. 
"  We  are  much  pleased  with  our  lodgings  and  the  very 
beautiful  spot  where  we  are  staying ;  it  is  a  fine  bracing  air, 
and  a  great  contrast  to  Torquay.  The  bathing  is  delightful, 
the  sea  as  clear  as  glass,  one  can  scarcely  tell  on  looking 
down  on  it  where  the  sea-water  begins.  It  is  a  little  bay 
full  of  rocks,  and  the  children  and  I  have  built  a  table  and 
a  seat  of  smooth  pebbles,  where  I  do  my  Greek  Testament 
the  whole  morning,  and  manage  to  get  through  a  good  deal 
of  work  till  two,  our  dinner-time.  After  dinner  we  wander 
far  and  wide,  and  make  expeditions  to  Torquay.  About 
seven  we  return  to  tea,  and  from  eight  to  nine  I  read  aloud 
'  Paradise  Lost'  to  them,  which  we  have  set  oui'selves  to  finish 


Died  July  2. 


1850]  Illness  of  his  Son  Ambrose.  183 

whilst  we  are  here.  From  our  window  we  can  see  full  forty 
miles  of  coast  from  hence  to  Portland ;  so  you  see  we  are 
enjoying  ourselves,  and,  we  hope,  laying  in  a  stock  of  health 
for  new  home  duties.  At  odd  times  I  pursue  a  work  which 
I  have  been  at  for  some  months  at  leisure  hours,  dressing, 
travelling,  &c.,  and  which  suits  the  sea  very  well,  namely, 
translating  the  Odyssey.  I  portion  out  twenty  lines  a 
day  for  my  task,  and  have  found  much  enjoyment  from  it, 
not  allowing  it  to  interfere  with  the  Greek  Testament  hours. 
I  have  done  about  2200  lines,  four  Books.  I  allow  two  years 
for  the  work  suggested  to  me  by  Wright,  who  is  doing  the 
Iliad." 

These  calm  and  happy  days  were  brought  abruptly  to  an 
end  by  the  alarming  illness  which  preceded  our  dear  child's 
death  on  August  31.  It  was  not  till  just  after  that  day  that 
his  father  entered  in  his  journal  a  few  short  but  precious 
memoranda  of  the  incidents  which  marked  the  last  days  of 
Ambrose^s  life  here.     He  writes  : — 

"Aug.  22. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  Merivale  came  to  see  us ;  went 
about  the  cliffs  and  to  Anstey's  Cove ;  she  had  a  donkey, 
which  dear  Amby  led. 

"  Aug.  23. — All  went  to  the  Torquay  regatta.  Very  hot ; 
dear  Amby  enjoyed  it  much,  and  we  were  all  very  happy. 
Ties  dernier s  jours  de  bonheur. 

"Aug.  24. — Walked  to  Watcombe  with  our  dearest  boy — 
our  last  walk. 

"  Aug.  25. — Went  to  church  all  together, — the  next  time 
will  be  in  the  kingdom  of  God ;  delightful  talk  in  the  even- 
ing ;  the  last  memorable  Sunday. 

"Aug.  26. — Dear  Amby  not  well.  Alice,  Mary,  and  I 
went  to  Exeter  to  see  the  Merivales ;  in  the  evening  dear 
Amby  no  better. 

"Aug.  27. — Dear  Amby  no  better;  went  to  Torquay  and 
got  him  some  medicine. 

"  Aug.  28. — Amby  no  better  ;  sent  for  Mr.  Bradstreet  of 
Mary  church.     He  feared  peritonitis. 

"Aug.  29. — The  dear  child  a  trifle  better.  The  girls  and 
I  saw  the  Teignmouth  regatta  from  the  cliffs. 


184  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

"Aug.  30. — Amby  had  a  better  night;  we  had  prayers  in 
his  room.  He  dictated  a  letter  to  George  (the  servant  whom 
we  left  at  Wymeswold)  about  his  pets  at  home.  We  three 
went  to  Torquay  to  get  him  various  nice  things,  but  he  could 
scarcely  notice  them ;  his  appetite  was  gone,  and  at  night  he 
was  in  great  pain. 

"Aug.  31. — Bad  night,  hands  and  feet  cold,  pulse  very  low ; 
we  tried  mustard  poultice  and  a  hot  bath  for  the  dear  child, 
but  all  to  no  purpose — he  gradually  sunk  and  at  six  died. 

"  The  Lord's  will  be  done  !  The  purest  and  happiest  spirit, 
the  joy  of  our  hearts  and  the  desire  of  our  eyes  !  May  this 
make  me  a  wiser  and  better  man  as  it  has  a  sadder  one.  I 
trust  these  events  will  soon  lose  much  of  their  sadness,  for 
the  day  is  fast  approaching  when  we  shall  be  with  our  two 
dear  ones,  where  there  is  no  more  parting,  no  more  sorrow.^' 

Of  all  the  sorrows  which  my  husband  knew  in  his  life,  none, 
I  think,  made  so  deep  an  impression  on  him,  or  so  often  came 
back  to  his  recollection  as  this.  In  a  paper  written  and 
published  nearly  twenty  years  afterwards  ®,  he  describes  a 
scene  which  to  those  of  us  who  survive  is  not  an  imaginary 
one,  but  a  reminiscence  of  that  last  day  in  August. 

"  You  remember  when  we  last  entered  such  a  chamber ; 
and  on  that  little  press-bed  in  the  corner  by  the  window  lay 
all  we  cared  for  ;  in  that  room  we  scarce  dared  breathe ;  even 
grief  was  lulled,  and  all  was  solemnized  without  a  feeling 
beyond.  We  stood  all  four  round  his  dying  bed,  with 
the  sunset  from  the  western  sea  filling  the  room  with 
rosy  light :  and  we  watched  till  the  dear  features  lost 
meaning  and  their  lines  stiffened ;  and  then  I  pressed  down 
the  eyelids,  and  we  left  mamma  with  him,  and  we  three 
went  out  bewildered,  and  sat  down  on  the  beach,  and 
I  said,  Where  is  he  now  ?  1  have  it  all  before  me — indeed 
that  lovely  bit  of  water-colour  by  Philip  Mitchell  which 
hangs  there  ^  would  bring  it  before  me,  could  I  ever  forget 
it.     The  sun  had  gone  down   and  had  left  in  the  lower  sky 


5  "Sunday  Magazine,"    "Fireside  Homilies,"   No.  ii.,  December,   1868, 
and  No.  viii.,  August,  1869. 
'  Deanery,  Canterbury. 


1850]  Death  0/ Ambrose.  185 

a  few  lines  of  dull  red,  and  under  them  the  sea  looked  a 
pale  ghastly  blue  (so  it  seemed  to  me),  and  the  sky  above  was 
clear,  but  as  yet  without  a  star.  And  there  was  not  a  sound, 
not  a  breath,  not  a  ripple.  All  seemed  to  speak  of  a  presence 
gone.  He  had  been  about  those  rocks,  and  on  that  beach, 
and  cleaving  those  waters — and  now  ?  " 

Immediately   after    the    death   he   wrote    the    following 
letters : — 

To  HIS  Brothee-in-law,  the  Eev.  Walter  Alford. 
"  I  write  with  a  very  heavy  heart  to  announce  to  you  sad 
news.  Our  dear  little  Ambrose,  after  a  few  days^  severe  ill- 
ness, has  been  taken  from  us,  and  is  now,  we  believe,  with  his 
Saviour  in  glory.  It  has  been  a  very  severe  stroke  to  us,  but 
we  have  been  sustained  by  knowing  that  God  has  done  it  for 
the  dear  boy^s  and  our  good,  and  to  bring  us  together  for 
ever  with  Him.  But  I  write  not  only  to  announce  the  news, 
but  to  you,  as  the  dear  boy's  godfather,  to  ask  you  a  great 
favour.  I  propose  to  bury  him  at  Wymeswold,  by  his  brother, 
leaving  Fanny  and  the  girls  at  Taunton,  and  go  up  with  the 
dear  boy's  remains.  But  on  all  accounts  it  is  not  well  that 
I  should  go  alone,  and  of  all  our  friends  down  here  you  seem 
both  by  feeling  and  by  office,  to  be  the  one  to  whom  I  feel 
drawn  to  ask  to  accompany  me." 

To  HIS  Father,  the  Rev.  Henry  Alford. 
"  We  have  been  graciously  supported,  and  are  enabled  to 
see  that  God's  will  is  best  for  us.  Our  dearest  boy  is  safe; 
and  in  this  perilous  age,  when  men's  faith  and  honesty  are 
sorely  tried,  it  is  no  small  consolation  to  think  of  this.  It  is 
a  very  heavy  stroke,  and  we  can  at  present  hardly  believe  it, 
but  its  full  meaning  has  yet  to  come  to  us.  It  is  very,  very 
kind  of  you  and  Bradley  to  think  of  coming  with  us,  and  it 
would  be  a  great  comfort,  but  are  you  equal  to  the  journey  ? 
I  am  quite  equal  to  the  journey  with  Walter ;  don't  injure 
your  precious  health  by  coming  with  us  on  my  account,  we 
had  not  calculated  on  it.  .  .  .  The  trial  was  required,  and  will 
do  no  harm,  translating  the  dear  boy  from  faith  to  sight,  and 


1 86  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  V. 

ourselves,  I  would  fain  hope,  from  weak  faith,  to  strong, 
helping  him  forward  all  the  way,  and  as  part  of  it.^^ 

To    THE    DOWAGEK   LaDY    SiTWELL. 

"  I  little  thought  when  I  wrote  to  you  on  Friday  that  I 
should  have  to  follow  that  letter  by  one  bearing  such  heavy 
tidings  as  I  have  now  to  announce.  It  has  pleased  Him 
whose  ways  are  not  ours  to  take  from  us  our  dearest  Am- 
brose. His  apparently  light  illness  which  I  mentioned  in 
my  last,  turned  to  acute  and  most  rapid  inflammation  of  the 
bowels,  which  defied  all  medical  skill,  and  at  six  o'clock  on 

Saturday  evening  the  dear  boy  left  us We  are  going 

before  we  return  to  Wymeswold  to  my  father's  at  Tonbridge, 
to  seek  comfort  from  the  one  person  on  earth  whom  I  have 
ever  found  to  administer  it  most  effectually.  You  knew  our 
dear  boy,  indeed  he  won  every  body's  heart  by  his  openness 
and  engaging  words  and  ways.  I  thought  you  would  like 
to  hear  from  ourselves  some  account  of  his  removal. 

"  We  all  request  your  sympathy  and  prayers." 

To  THE  Rev.  H.  Fearon,  Rector  op  Loughborough. 

"  I  know,  my  dear  Mr.  Fearon,  you  are  interested  in  us 
and  ours,  and  therefore  include  you  in  the  list  of  my  friends 
to  whom  I  have  to  announce  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  our 
dearest  and  only  boy.  We  only  knew  of  his  danger  about 
an  hour  before.  We  had  very  few  parting  words,  but  those 
very  sweet,  it  seemed  like  a  dream.  He  died  very  peacefully  : 
so  we  have  lost  his  happy  voice  and  his  bright  promise  from 
amongst  us — a  sad  trial,  but  not,  we  hope,  beyond  the  power 
of  faith  to  see  through  in  course  of  time." 

The  burial  of  Ambrose  took  place  at  Wymeswold  ^  on  Sep- 
tember 5 ;  and  shortly  afterwards  he  wrote  thus  to  his  friend 
the  Rev.  Edward  Yaughan,  at  that  time  vicar  of  St.  Martin's, 
Leicester : — 

"  Thank  you  for  your  very  kind  and  brotherly  letter  which 
reached  me  at  Wymeswold  on  Friday.     There  we  took  our 


s  A  memorial  window  was  placed  in  Wymeswold  Churcli,  near  the  one 
put  up  to  his  young  brother  six  years  before,  and  also  a  stained  glass 
window  was  placed  in  the  south  transept  of  Canterbury  Cathedral. 


1850]  Letters  on  the  Death  of  his  Son.  187 

dear  boy^s  remains^  laying  them  by  Ms  brotlier  at  tlie  noi-tli- 
west  angle  of  the  tower.  It  has  indeed  been  a  most  heavy, 
unexpected  stroke,  but  tempered  with  much  mercy.  He 
was  taken  just  at  a  crisis  of  his  young  hfe,  when  the  noble 
qualities  of  the  home-bred  boy  were  beginning  to  pour  their 
clear  stream  into  the  turbid  river,  whether  to  purify  or  to  be 
corrupted  was  an  anxious  and  long  inquiry.  All  this  we 
have  been  spared,  and  we  have  left  us  one  of  the  brightest 
examples  of  the  fruits  of  divine  grace  in  early  years.  I  never 
saw  in  any  one  such  a  stern  unbending  love  of  truth  and 
justice,  so  tender  and  scrupulous  a  conscience.  Whatever 
Ambrose  said  he  did." 

It  was  not  unnatural  that  he  should  communicate  the  feel- 
ings which  now  oppressed  him  to  his  old  friend  and  tutor  the 
Eev.  John  Bickersteth,  which  he  did  in  the  following  letter : — 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  in  common  with  very  many  of  my 
kind  friends  for  writing  to  console  us  in  our  grief.  We  have 
been  abundantly  blessed  with  comfort  in  knowing  that  our 
dearest  boy  was  taken  from  the  trials  of  a  distracted  and 
evil  age,  to  be  in  full  fruition  of  heavenly  knowledge  and 
light.  As  for  ourselves,  though  it  was  very  hard  to  bear  at 
first,  we  have  become  persuaded  that  it  was  lovingly  as  well 
as  wisely  done.  He  was  always  a  very  strong  healthy  boy, 
even  to  the  last ;  and  we  were  not  aware  of  any  danger  till 

about  an  hour  before  his  death He  went  off  at  last 

most  rapidly ;  wished  us  good-bye ;  said  '  Yes '  when  I  asked 
him  if  he  should  like  to  join  his  departed  brother  in  heaven  ; 
just  a  short  prayer,  and  that  was  all,  there  was  no  time  for 
more.  Never  did  child  or  man  live  in  a  clearer  h'ght  of  truth 
tha.n  dearest  Ambrose.  From  childhood  he  was  inflexibly 
conscientious,  just,  and  self-denying.  It  was  often  no  easy 
matter  to  get  a  promise  from  him  ;  but  when  once  given  it 
was  inviolate.  Every  thing  that  he  had  he  shared  with  his 
sisters  and  us,  and  many  times,  if  not  enough  in  quantity  to 
share,  he  put  it  by,  and  refused  to  enjoy  it.  His  great  pur- 
suit was  natural  history,  and  especially  ornithology,  in  which 
he  was  really  a  wonderful  proficient  f(5r  his  age.  Next  to  his 
Bible,  Whitens    *  Selborne '    was   his  favourite  book.      He 


1 88  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

has  written  himself  several  little  books  descriptive  of  the 
habits  and  history  of  such  birds  as  had  come  under  his  own 
notice.  In  book  learning  he  was  no  prodigy^  but  rather  a  dunce, 
but  more  from  preoccupation  with  busy  thoughts  than  from 
any  deficiency.  If  it  had  pleased  God  to  spare  him  he  would 
have  made  an  honest,  useful  Christian  man.  But  He  has 
taken  him  from  the  toil  and  struggle  and  uncertainty  of  this 
world  to  ripen  in  heaven.  May  we  be  found  worthy  to  join 
our  dear  boy  where  he  is  gone,  and  to  witness  the  everlasting 
bloom  through  eternity  of  the  bright  bud  removed  from  us 
here  before  the  clear  stream  of  his  boyish  life  had  mingled 
with  the  turbid  waters  of  this  world ! '' 

Our  friend  and  former  neighbour,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton 
(now  Canon  of  Eochester),  had  undertaken  in  our  absence 
this  summer  from  Wymeswold  to  be  the  occupant  of  the 
vicarage,  and  to  take  charge  of  the  parish.  My  husband 
wrote  to  him  the  following  letter  : — 

"  Heale  House. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  you  were  providentially  led  to  take  up 
your  abode  at  Wymeswold  this  summer  for  our  relief  and 
comfort.  We  both  feel  much  your  kindness  and  Christian 
sympathy  with  us.  God  bless  you  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  for  it, 
and  keep  long  and  always  from  your  lips  the  draught  which 
we  are  drinking  to  the  dregs.  I  must  join  my  thanks  with 
my  wife^s  for  the  sermon  which  we  received  yesterday.  Like 
every  thing  else  connected  with  our  dear  boy,  it  has  given 
us  a  consolation  under  our  great  affliction,  now  pressing  on 
us  even  more  heavily  than  at  first. 

"  We  are  at  present  spending  a  few  days  at  our  childhood's 
home,  a  large  old  house  in  one  of  the  beautiful  sites  in  the 
county  of  Somerset.  Every  thing  here  is  sombre  and 
solemn.  The  house  is  one  of  the  last  century,  and  part  of  it 
no  one  knows  how  many  centuries  before.  The  timber  is 
vast  and  untrimmed,  the  boughs  waving  before  and  scraping 
the  windows,  the  front  looking  up  a  decayed  avenue  of 
chestnuts  yearly  despoiled  of  some  of  their  companions,  at 
the  end  of  which  is  a  tall  column  erected  by  the  great  Lord 
Chatham  to  the  memory  of  Sir  William  Pynsent,  who   be- 


1850]  Letters  on  the  Death  of  his  Son.  189 

queathed  him  the  estate  of  Burton  Pynsent,  all  now  gone  to 
ruin,  the  title  extinct,  the  house  fallen  down,  the  garden  a 
wilderness ;  add  to  all  this  that  my  wife^s  father,  the  head  of 
our  family,  is  paralyzed  and  helpless,  waiting  his  dismissal. 
In  this  place  we  have  all  grown  up  and  played  our  childish 
games,  and  now  it  is  the  centre  and  resort  of  the  widely 
scattered  members  of  a  family  numbering  twelve  married 
couples  and  thirty  grandchildren,  besides  brothers  and  sisters 
of  the  last  generation — in  all  numbering  sixty-two  persons. 
Is  it  not  a  place  strangely  in  harmony  with  our  present  feel- 
ings ?  '  This  is  not  your  rest,^  is  written  on  every  mouldering 
stone  of  the  old  house,  and  to  add  to  all,  dear  Ambrose  was 
here  full  of  life  and  spirits  only  a  month  ago  !  But  I  shall 
weary  you  with  the  loquaciousness  of  grief." 

To  HIS  Brother-in-law,  Mr.  S.  S.  Alford. 

"  It  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  stand  godfather  to  your 
dear  little  babe.  I  have  no  scruple  to  undertake  that  relation 
where  the  parents  live  in  the  fear  of  God  and  seem  likely  to 
exercise  that  authority  over  their  children,  which  is  necessary 
in  order  to  bring  them  up  in  His  nurture  and  admonition.  Our 
sorrow  is  indeed  very  heavy,  almost  more  than  flesh  and  blood 
can  bear ;  but  thanks  be  to  God,  we  are  not  overwhelmed  by 
it :  we  know  that  He  doeth  all  things  well,  that  He  has  taken 
our  dear  child  from  much  trial  and  peril  of  faith  and  con- 
science in  these  dangerous  days.  Still,  we  have  lost  all  his 
sweet  words  and  ways,  and  promise  for  this  life,  and  the 
prospect  of  his  sustaining  our  age, — but  we  are  not  broken 
down,  only  very  sad.''^ 

After  our  return  to  Wymeswold,  in  November,  he  wrote 
thus  to  his  father  : — 

^'  We  are  now  in  the  midst  of  the  haunts  of  our  dear  lost 
boy  (lost  to  us  at  least  for  the  present).  It  seems  to  me  as 
if  I  had  only  been  playing  at  the  loss  before,  but  as  if  the 
reality  was  come  now 

"  Our  thoughts  have  been  much  turned  of  late  to  the 
eternal  state.  Half  our  children  are  there,  and  where  the 
treasure  is,  there  wiU  the  heart  be  also.     The  fact  of  our 


190  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

dear  children  having  wrestled  with  and  overcome  death  by- 
Christ  and  entered  into  His  rest,  seems  to  have  practically- 
disarmed  death  of  his  terrors,  and  shown  us  how  to  die/' 

To  THE  Rev.  C.  Meeivale. 

'^  We  found  it  a  great  trial  at  first,  and  Fanny  was  in  very 
low  spirits  for  some  time.  She  is  now  certainly  better,  and 
the  soothing  effects  which  you  so  justly  ascribe  to  home  are 
beginning  to  tell  on  her.  As  I  anticipated,  the  fact  of  his 
image  being  ever  before  us  has  become  a  pleasant  thing 
instead  of  a  mournful  one. 

'^  Death  has  been  busy  this  autumn  among  our  friends. 

's  eldest  daughter,  a  playfellow  of  dearest  Ambrose,  has 

just  died  at  Rome.  Henry  Hallam's  death  you  have  doubt- 
less heard  of.  Poor  Mr.  Hallam,  how  he  has  been  again  and 
again  called  on  to  drain  the  cup  of  suffering  ! 

'^  Our  best  love  to  your  wife  ;  it  forms  an  additional  tie  to 
her  and  you  that  you  were  the  last  of  our  friends  who  saw 
him ;  that  your  and  her  impression  of  him  reached  up  to  ten 
days  before  his  death." 

To  THE  Dowager  Lady  Sitwell. 

,  "mi'.  11, 1850. 
"We  were  much  grieved  to  see  in  the  'Times'  yesterday  the 
death  of  dear  Kythe ;  and  knowing  how  much  you  must  be 
afflicted  by  it,  I  felt  disposed  to  wi'ite  to  you  and  say  how 
deeply  we  feel  for  you  and  sympathize  with and  your- 
self. It  is  a  solemn  thought,  that  of  the  four  happy  childi'en 
round  our  luncheon-table  on  Easter-day,  two  have  now 
entered  the  eternal  state !  I  find  myself  the  greatest  comfort 
in  reflecting  that  my  dear  boy  has  attained  by  a  shorter  and 
more  merciful  way  the  perfection  after  which  we  amidst  many 
errors  and  sorrows  are  still  painfully  striving.  The  dear 
children  who  have  been  taken  before  us  who  now  live,  have 
been,  I  am  persuaded,  saved  more  than  common  trials  and 
temptations,  to  judge  by  the  thickening  symptoms  of  the 
coming  age.  It  threatens  to  be  one  of  severe  individual 
sifting  of  faith  and  conscience,  of  much  family  disruption  for 
the  truth's  sake,  and,  I  fear,  of  growing  disregard  to  the 


1850]     Letter  on  Death  of  Mr.  H.  F.  Hallam.       191 

holy  laws  of  simplicity  and  ingenuousness.  From  all  these 
evils  our  beloved  ones  are  for  ever  delivered,  summoned  away 
in  the  midst  of  their  first  fresh  faith  and  open-heartedness, 
full  of  truth  and  joy  and  love.  I  have  found,  too,  that  the 
fact  of  our  dear  children  having  wrestled  with  and  overcome 
death  seems  more  than  ever  to  remove  all  terror  from  the 
prospect  of  our  own  struggle  with  him.  To  think  that  those 
cherished  ones,  from  whom  we  carefully  fenced  off  every 
rough  blast,  whom  we  led  by  the  hand  in  every  thorny  path, 
have  by  themselves  gone  through  the  dark  valley;  that 
those  weapons  of  which  we  had  only  begun  to  teach  them 
the  use  have  now  been  successfully  wielded  by  their  little 
hands,  and  their  victory  gained  before  it  has  come  to  our 
turn  to  prove  them.  These  thoughts  seem  to  show  us  the 
meaning  of  the  wonderful  expression,  'More  than  con- 
querors.' If  they  could  struggle  and  overcome,  much  more 
we,  with  so  much  more  knowledge  and  experience.  No 
doubt  our  fight  will  be  harder :  the  world  has  wrapped  itself 
more  closely  round  our  hearts,  and  our  experience  has  been 
not  only  of  the  spiritual,  but  of  the  temporal  also.  But  let 
our  faith  not  fail  in  Him  who  has  conquered  death,  and  I 
doubt  not  that  He  who  now  leads  our  dear  children  in  the 
green  pastures  of  eternal  joy,  will  in  His  own  time  make  per- 
fect His  strength  in  our  weakness,  and  show  us  that  all  deep 
afflictions  have  been  in  reality  our  best  and  greatest  blessings. '' 
The  following  letter  was  written  on  another  sorrowful 
occasion.  Mr.  H,  F.  Hallam,  a  pupil  (see  p.  134)  of  my  hus- 
band, died  in  Siena,  in  Italy,  on  Oct.  25.  A  brief  memoir 
of  this  promising  young  man  was  prepared  for  private  cir- 
culation, and  his  former  tutor  was  asked  to  contribute  some 
information.     His  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

To    F.    LUSHINGTON,    EsQ. 

''No  apology  was  required  for  your  note  respecting 
Henry  Hallam.  On  our  return  from  a  long  and  very  bitter 
absence  from  home  (you  have  probably  heard  of  our  be- 
reavement), the  first  thing  on  our  drawing-room  table  was 
a  slip  of  paper  with  his  name,  and  an  expression  of  regret 
that  he  did  not  find  us  at  home.     A  few  days  after  we  saw 


192  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  V. 

his  death  in  the  paper.  He  was  with  me  so  short  a  time^  and 
our  intercourse  since  then  has  been  necessarily  so  very  slight, 
that  I  feel  quite  inadequate  in  his  case  to  the  sacred  task  of 
describing  the  dead.  When  he  came  to  me  I  looked  on  him 
with  great  interest  for  his  brother's  sake,  and  soon  learned 
that  he  was  himself  worthy  of  being  the  brother  of  such  a 
man.  He  was  with  me  only  two  months,  hardly  time  to 
thaw  the  reserve  natural  alike  to  both  of  us.  Once  during 
that  time  my  four  pupils  and  myself  took  a  walking  excur- 
sion into  Dei'byshire,  which  he  seemed  much  to  enjoy.  Those 
two  days  let  me  more  into  his  character  than  any  other  inter- 
course which  we  had  :  but  as  we  ever  disparage  by  comparison 
with  a  model  which  we  believe  unapproachable  (at  least,  not 
more  than  once  approachable  in  our  own  experience),  so  I 
fancied  I  found  less  grasp  of  generalizing  thought,  less 
though  no  mean  share  of  that  sweetness  of  bearing  in  argu- 
ment and  rebuke  which  in  Arthur  was  something  almost 
more  than  human ;  still  my  recollections  of  him  during  that 
week  are  those  of  a  very  lovely  character,  full,  if  time  had 
been  given  to  me  to  explore  them,  of  treasures  of  no  ordinary 
kind.  As  regards  our  scholastic  work,  I  can  speak  with 
more  precision.  Mr.  Hallam  wished  that  he  should  devote 
the  short  time  here  to  practising  accuracy  of  translation  into 
English,  and  the  formation  of  a  good  style  of  severe  compo- 
sition. For  this  purpose  our  principal  work  was  translating 
the  speeches  of  Thucydides.  This  he  did  with  much  care  and 
precision,  giving  admirable  readings  of  those  knotty  periods 
into  nervous,  and  at  the  same  tune  elegant  English,  and 
weighing  most  carefully  any  alterations  suggested  by  me, 
weighing  and  digesting  previous  to  adoption  into  agreement 
with  his  own  style  and  cadence. 

"  We  have  felt  very  deeply  for  poor  Mr.  Hallam ;  pray 
tell  him  so,  for  we  know  by  sad  experience  that  the  assm-ance 
of  sympathy  is  of  itself  a  comfort  of  some  kind,  and  that 
oi)  (Tol  fi6v(p,  though  a  poor  consolation,  is  yet  sometimes 
found  to  be  one." 

Our  own  cloud  had  not  yet  passed  away;  its  shadow 
appears  in  the  following  letter  : — 


i8so]  Letters  on  his  Greek  Testament.  193 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Moultrie. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  poem,  just  read.  I  should  hardly 
be  disposed  to  rank  the  character  of  the  Virgin  as  high  as 
you  have  done ;  for,  reasoning  from  recorded  facts  to  unre- 
corded ones,  I  think  it  probable  that  trials  from  ol  Ihioi, 
in  the  closer  sense,  were  a  part  of  the  sufferings  of  our 
Divine  Lord.  Where  she  does  appear,  it  is  as  a  faithful, 
holy  woman ;  not,  however,  exempt  from  waywardness  and 
folly.  If  you  ever  see  Yol.  i.  of  my  Greek  Testament,  you 
will  find  a  note.  Matt.  xiii.  55,  in  which  I  have  argued, 
as  I  am  fully  convinced,  that  ol  aS6\<pol  rod  Kvpiov  were 
actually  brothers,  sons  of  Joseph  and  Mary.  .   .  . 

"  It  always  gives  a  poet,  like  a  parent,  pleasure  to  hear  of 
his  children.  You  will  be  interested  to  hear  that,  under  our 
very  severe  bereavement  this  summer  of  a  very  dear  and 
only  boy,  your  little  poem  of  the  *  The  Three  Sons  was  one 
of  the  things  which  we  read  oftenest,  and  felt  most  comforting 
to  us." 

The  following  letter,  referring  chiefly  to  the  volume  of 
the  Greek  Testament  on  which  he  was  then  engaged,  was 
written  to  a  distinguished  scholar,  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Davidson, 
Professor  in  the  Lancashire  Independent  College,  Man- 
chester : — 

"  My  second  volume  will  be  yet  a  cousidei-able  time  before 
it  is  ready  for  the  press  at  all.  The  work  is  so  very  heavy, 
that  I  must  allow  two  years  at  least,  if  spared  and  in  health, 
before  I  can  hope  to  be  in  print.  As  yet  I  have  done  (1)  the 
text  and  various  readings,  which  will,  however,  want  revising, 
I  fancy,  on  the  appearance  next  spring  of  Dr.  Tregelles' 
Greek  Testament ;  (2)  the  marginal  references,  which  are  very 
laborious  and  important,  especially  in  doubtful  epistles,  as  a 
running  comment  on  the  diction.  In  compiling  these  I  have 
to  search  into  the  entire  Hellenistic  usage  of  every  word. 
They  will  be  much  more  systematic  and  more  copious  than  in 
Vol.  i.  Of  these,  I  have  completed  as  far  as  the  end  of 
Ephesians,  and  hope  by  hard  work  to  get  them  done  by 
December  31.     The  work  is  getting  easier  towards  the  end, 

o 


194  ^^/^  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V 

as  I  always  pencil  onwai^ds,  referring  back  to  references 
already  verified^  and  thus  have  not  to  verify  again.  Of  notes  I 
have  written  hardly  any,  only  about  five  chapters  of  the 
Acts.  I  have  given  up  every  thing  else  to  devote  myself  en- 
tirely to  the  work,  turning  over  my  parish  to  a  curate,  seeing 
that,  if  I  am  to  do  it,  it  must  be  the  work  of  my  life.  I  get 
about  seven  hours  a  day  at  it. 

^'  I  find  it  just  now  an  admirable  consolation  under  deep 
afiiiction,  the  removal  of  my  only  surviving  son,  a  fine, 
promising  boy  of  ten  years  old.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to 
have  the  best  of  employments  to  beguile  my  sorrow. 

'^  Your  account  of  your  progress  interested  me  much.  I 
should  be  at  present  quite  unfit  to  talk  over  the  difficulties, 
not  having  yet  grappled  with  them  in  earnest.  In  January 
I  hope  to  attack  the  Acts,  and  perhaps  (D.V.)  by  March 
either  St.  James  or  Romans.  Should  you  not  be  out  by 
then,  I  shall  feel  very  much  obliged  by  the  loan  of  your 
sheets :  they  will  be  certain  to  add  much  to  my  afpjiaratus 
exegeticus.  Besides  their  intrinsic  value,  we  have  indeed 
thorny  ground  to  go  over,  and  great  need  of  a  sound  mind,  a 
spiritual  understanding,  and  a  constant  use  of  good  English 
honesty,  to  shun  on  every  occasion  the  amhages  theologicce 
which  have  been  the  disgrace  for  ages  of  our  divinity.  .  .  . 
Those  who  really  value  the  Scriptures,  and  know  why  they 
value  them,  should  understand  each  other,  and  stand  side  by 
side  in  the  conflict  which  is  coming. 

"  Your  friend  and  fellow-worker  in  the  Lord." 

The  next  letter  is  written  to  a  correspondent  in 
America:  — 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kindness  in  sending  me  a  copy  of 
the  '  Christian  Examiner,'  containing  a  notice  of  my  poems. 
It  is  indeed  refreshing  to  find  that  my  strains  have  awakened 
an  echo  on  the  other  side  of  the  broad  Atlantic.  I  know 
that  you  are  a  people  eminently  poetical,  and  look  for  great 
fruits  from  you  at  some  future  day ;  but  indeed  you  are  far 
from  idle  at  present.  You  have  in  my  opinion  decidedly  the 
advantage  of  us  now  as  to  freshness  and  vividness  of  poetical 


1850]  Letters  oti  his  Greek  Tcstafucnt.  195 

life  and  imagery.  There  is  rising  in  England^  from  the  class 
of  educated  mechanics  now  happily  increasing,  a  genuine 
school  of  poetic  excellence ;  but  the  old  classical  poetry  is 
wearing  out.  Tennyson  is  our  only  poet  of  high  powers. 
Wordsworth  being  of  course  reckoned  a  little  gone  by, 
though  still  happily  spared  to  us.  And  poems  do  not  sell  in 
England ;  we  are  all  too  busy,  all  at  work,  and  no  play,  and 
are  in  consequence  'dull  boys.^  I  fear  I  must  reckon 
myself  among  this  number,  for  my  poetical  flights  seem  to 
have  been  long  ago  tamed  down.  I  have  written  very  little 
of  late  years. 

"  It  has,  however,  been  from  want  of  leisure  not  of  inclina- 
tion. I  have  been  engaged  for  some  years  on  an  edition  of 
the  Greek  Testament,  which  will  be  the  work  of  my  life. 
The  first  volume,  containing  the  four  Gospels,  was  published 
last  November,  and  I  am  now  working  hard  at  the  remainder. 
When  I  tell  you  that  I  am  employed  for  eight  or  nine  hours 
every  day  on  my  theological  labours,  you  will  see  that  not 
much  time  or  strength  is  left  for  work  of  any  other  kind." 

In  the  following  letter,  dated  25th  December,  to  the  Rev. 
J.  Cunningham,  editor  of  the  "Christian  Observer,"  he  refers 
to  another  criticism  : — 

"  I  have  only  this  day  seen  the  letter  in  your  December 
number,  headed  Alford's  '  Prolegomena :'  in  consequence,  this 
letter  will,  I  fear,  be  too  late  for  your  January  number.   .  .  . 

"  I  am  persuaded  we  are  on  the  eve  of  a  great  struggle 
for  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  In  this  contest  it 
will  be  most  essential,  for  the  cause  of  truth,  that  we  should 
be  at  least  as  well  armed  as  our  adversaries ;  every  difficulty 
must  be  thoroughly  opened,  solved  honestly  and  fairly,  if 
capable  of  solution,  or  shown  and  confessed  to  be  incapable. 
There  must  be  no  ignoring,  no  healing  over  of  difficulties,  as 
has  been  too  much  the  case  in  past  time.  In  God^s  word, 
as  in  God's  works,  we  must  be  humble  and  adoring,  but  at 
the  same  time  truthful  towards  the  bringing  about  this 
important  end.  I  have  cast  in  my  humble  contribution,  with 
fervent  prayers,  that  the  God  of  faith  may  bless  it ;  in  doing 
o  2 


1 96  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  V. 

this,  I  expect  to  encouuter  uo  small  share  of  opposition 
and  misunderstanding.  I  have  no  sympathy  whatever  with 
rationalism ;  one  of  my  great  objects  is  to  deal  thoroughly 
and  truthfully  with  the  word  of  Grod,  that  I  may,  if  it  please 
Him,  furnish  to  our  students  of  Scripture  fitting  weapons 
for  the  coming  struggle  with  infidelity.''^ 

The  Christmas  of  this  year  was,  to  us,  shorn  of  much  of 
its  ordinary  gladness.  He  wrote  thus  on  December  23,  to  a 
former  pupil : — 

To  THE  Hon.  Charles  Spring  Rice'. 

"Many  thanks,  my  dear  Spring  Rice,  for  your  welcome 
letter,  which  arrived,  during  the  dearth  of  letters  at  Christ- 
mas, much  like  cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul.  Our  home 
is  much  changed  since  we  lost  the  merry  voice  of  our  dear 
boy.  In  1849,  when  I  gave  up  pupils,  we  had  been  living  in 
too  happy  a  state  for  this  world,  and  I  sometimes  used  to 
think  it  could  not  last.  Well,  we  must  all  bear  sorrow;  and 
it  will  be  well  for  us  if  it  comes  in  a  shape  unmixed  with 
any  regrets,  except  for  our  own  loss,  as  this  of  ours  does.  I 
sometimes  sigh  over  my  distance  from  libraries  for  my  work, 
and  masters  for  my  girls." 

His  jom'nal  contains  the  following  reflections  at  the  end  of 
this  year,  and  the  beginning  of  1851 : — 

"  My  darling  Ambrose,  a  noble  boy  of  ten  years  of  age, 
has  left  us  for  the  land  of  the  leal.  Sad  indeed  was  our 
parting ;  a  few  short  hours  our  only  notice ;  the  last  scene, 
clouded  by  partial  delirium,  but  clear  at  the  end.  He  died 
by  the  bright  blue  sea  of  Devon,  August  31,  and  was  buried 
by  the  side  of  our  dear  little  Clement.  I  have  only  my  two 
sweet  girls  left  me  to  stay  my  declining  years  and  those  of 
their  mother.  They  are,  thank  God,  well  able  and  well 
willing  to  do  it. 

'^  I  have  translated  half  the  '  Odyssey,'  and  I  am  going  on 


Wlio  died  1870. 


1850]  Reflections  on  the  Close  of  the  Year.  197 

with  it,  I  hope,  ere  long.  I  am  also  preparing  an  article  for 
the  '  Edinburgh/  on  Conybeare  and  Howson^s  '  St.  Paul/ 
and  some  poems  for  an  American  publisher,  who  is  going  to 
bring  out  an  edition  of  my  poems. 

"  I  have,  by  God's  mercy,  been  enabled  to  look  forward  to 
suffering  and  death  as  nothing  to  be  dreaded,  and  to  eternity 
as  a  glorious  entrance  on  my  final  and  more  exalted  state. 
May  my  gracious  God  protect  me  through  this  year,  and  help 
me  in  my  great  work  for  His  glory ;  or  if  He  pleases  to  cut 
it  short  (and  in  this  as  in  all  things  His  will  be  done  in  me), 
may  He  take  me  to  His  safe  keeping  among  those  who  sleep 
in  Jesus,  where  my  two  dearest  boys  are  already.  And  may 
He  bring  me  with  Him  at  the  day  of  His  appearing.  Amen.'' 


CHAPTER    VI. 

1851—1853. 

Letters  concerning  the  Greek  Testament— Three  Months' 
Residence  in  London — Death  of  his  Father — Removal  to 
London  as  Minister  of  Quebec  Chapel. 

IN  tlie  early  part  of  this  year  lie  published^  at  a  small  price, 
a  selection  from  liis  poems,  aud  took  the  opportunity  to 
insert  a  new  one,  "Lacrymee  Paternje"  {"  Poems,"  p.  145). 
Some  of  the  thoughts  in  it  are  also  expressed  in  the  follow- 
ing letter  : — 

To  Miss  E.  Mott. 

"  Wymeswold  Vicarage,  April,  1851. 

"  You  may  imagine,  as  spring  comes  on,  and  the  flowers 
open  and  the  merry  birds  begin  to  sing,  that  he  who 
was  the  most  joyous  of  the  whole  at  such  times  is 
more  than  ever  in  our  thoughts.  It  seems  now  as  if 
nature  wanted  some  one  to  love  her ;  to-day  his  little  wren 
has  been  singing  in  the  rose  branches  over  my  window, 
fluttering  its  tiny  wings  and  pouring  out  its  clear  shrill 
song,  just  as  it  did  last  year  when  I  called  him  from  his 
lessons  to  hear  it.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  For  some 
moments  he  stood  with  his  hand  in  mine,  eagerly  listening 
and  watching  the  little  bird,  his  bright  blue  eyes  glistening 
with  intense  delight;  then,  scarcely  daring  to  turn  for  fear 
of  alarming  the  wren,  he  whispered,  '  Oh !  papa,  how 
beautiful  •/  and  it  inspired  the  dear  boy  with  his  first  and 
last  simple  strain  of  poetry.  One  more  lamb  is  safe  for 
ever  from  the  roaring  lion;  one  precious  opening  flower  in 


185 1       Letters  concernuig  the  Greek  Testament.       199 

all  its  brilliant  hues  untarnished.  We  feel  that  we  are  fast 
going  to  join  him,  and  our  endeavour  must  be  to  hold  on 
our  way,  earnestly  and  cheerfully,  by  divine  grace,  looking 
to  Jesus  for  the  few  days  which  remain." 

The  following  letters  are  selected  from  many  which  he 
wrote  about  this  time  with  reference  to  his  work  on  the 
Greek  Testament,  and  as  showing  the  spirit  in  which  he 
was  carrying  on  that  work.  Among  those  which  are  not 
inserted  is  one  to  Mr.  James  Smith,  of  Jordan  Hill,  who  had 
written  on  the  voyage  and  shipwreck  of  St.  Paul,  in  which, 
while  discussing  some  details  of  interpretation,  he  acknow- 
ledges his  very  deep  obligations  to  Mr.  Smith. 

To  THE  Rev.  R.  0.  Trench. 

"  A]}ril  12,  1851. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  present  and  the  letter 
which  accompanies  it.  It  comes  the  more  acceptably 
just  now  that  I  have  this  morning  brought  St.  Paul 
to  Rome,  and  hope,  after  a  week's  holiday  at  Easter, 
to  begin  the  Romans.  I  have  arranged  with  Rivington 
to  have  two  more  volumes;  I  found  one  utterly  imprac- 
tible.  I  suppose  I  probably  know  all  there  is  to  be  con- 
sulted (I  mean  the  names  of  the  books,  not  their  contents 
as  yet)  on  the  Romans  ;  but  if  you  have  heard  of  any  thing 
new,  do  let  me  know. 

'^We  have,  indeed,  been  very  heavily  weighed  down  by 
our  great  sorrow.  Our  darling  boy  was  one  of  the  most 
unlikely,  humanly  speaking,  to  have  been  thus  taken  off; 
full  of  robust  health  and  strength,  a  complete  child  of  nature 
.  .  .  so  that  you  see  the  very  return  of  spring,  the  birds 
with  their  nests,  bring  a  pang  to  us ;  but  the  retrospect  of 
his  course  is  very  bright  and  happy,  and  fills  us  with  thank- 
fulness that  we  have  been  permitted  to  be  the  parents  of 
such  a  child.  The  character  by  which  the  villagers  and 
strangers  in  general  knew  him,  was  his  generosity  and  love 
of  truth  and  justice.  Not  a  boy  brought  him  a  bird's  egg 
but  was  paid  punctually  and  conscientiously ;  and  he  never 
saw  an  act  of  iiijustice  without  using  all  his  influence  to  stop 


200  Life  of  Deaji  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

it.  ...  I  string  together  these  few  particulars  because 
I  know  you  can  feel  for  us.  We  are  very  well^  and  be- 
ginning to  breathe  freely  again;  but  we  are  not  what  we 
were.  I  feel  now  longing  for  the  day  when  tears  will  be 
wiped  from  every  eye.  My  work  has  been  a  great  support 
to  me." 

To  THE  Eev.  C.  Merivale. 

"  WymesivolU  Vicarage, 
"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  we  are  interweaving  Chris- 
tian matters.  Just  now  we  are  working  not  far  off  each 
other,  not  above  a  century  apart ' ;  for  I  am  writing 
notes  on  the  beginning  of  the  Acts.  I  have  found  (or 
rather  been  found  by,  for  he  came  here  to  seek  me  out) 
a  most  eflficient  censor  of  my  geography,  &c.,  in  Mr. 
Howson^;  his  book  also  helps  me.  Did  I  tell  you  the 
booksellers  have  agreed  to  three  volumes ;  the  same  to  be 
published  as  soon  as  ready  ?  I  hope  this  may  be  by  next 
Christmas,  or  not  much  after.  I  do  the  Acts  at  about  three 
chapters  in  a  fortnight,  I  mean  notes  only ;  and  I  suppose 
the  Komans,  Corinthians,  &c.,  will  take  about  the  same  time, 
the  collateral  work  in  the  Acts  balancing  the  difficulty  in 
the  others. 

****** 

"  I  hope  a  second  edition  of  Vol.  i.  may  soon  be  wanted, 
as  the  text  is  a  very  lame  affair  in  the  first  edition. 

"  You  see  I  had  no  article  in  the  January  '  Edinburgh '/ 
I  wonder  when  it  is  coming.  ^  The  Christian  Observer '  has 
reviewed  me  in  January,  on  the  whole  favourably :  '  By  far 
the  best  edition  of  the  Gospels  which  has  appeared  in  this 
country,^  &c. 


1  It  is  perhaps  unuecessaiy  to  remind  the  reader  that  the  earlier  vohimes 
of  Dr.  Merivale's  "  History  of  the  Romans  under  the  Empire,"  had  already- 
appeared,  while  his  college  friend  was  now  tracing  the  history  of  that 
Apostle  who  stood  at  Caesar's  judgment-seat. 

2  Afterwards  Dean  of  Chester. 


185 1 ]     Letters  concerning  the  Greek  Testament.       201 

"  The  editor  was  good  enough  to  offer  me  a  few  pages 
next  month  to  explain  some  things  in  the  review  if  I  liked^ 
so  I  have  written  him  a  letter. 

"  My  '  Odyssey  ^  appears  not  unlikely  eventually,  if  it 
can  ever  be  praised  enough,  to  make  its  appearance  as  a 
gay  book,  under  the  artistic  auspices  of  Mr.  G.  Scharf,  with 
whom  I  have  lately  made  acquaintance. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  this — when  Claudius  presented  Herod 
Agrippa  with  Judaea  and  Samaria,  which  were  before  parts  of 
the  province  of  Syria,  what  was  done  about  the  military  forces 
stationed  there  ?  Did  the  Romans  evacuate  the  district  ? 
Hardly  I  think,  for  if  so  how  would  the  new  king  have 
raised  the  necessary  men  at  once  to  garrison  the  town  ? 
If  the  Roman  garrison  remained,  on  what  footing  were 
they  ?  What  was  the  practice,  and  what  are  our  authorities  ? 
I  ask  because  it  is  of  some  interest  to  me  to  know 
whether  by  any  possibility  Cornelius  and  his  devout  soldiers 
can  have  remained  at  Cffisarea  over  the  death  of  Agrippa, 
and  by  any  chance  have  been  Luke^s  authority  for  his  nar- 
rative of  that  event.^^ 

To  B.  H.  Norman,  Esq.  (a  brother-in-law)  . 

"  You  are  a  man  who  has  an  eye-dispensary,  can  you 
throw  any  light  on  the  following  : — '  Saul  could  not  see 
for  the  brightness  of  that  light,^  Acts  xxii.  11  ;  and  when 
Ananias  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  ^  there  fell  from  his  eyes, 
as  it  had  been  scales,'  Acts  ix.  18.  Now,  of  course,  the 
case  was  miraculous,  no  doubt  about  this.  But  is  there 
any  thing  physically  analogous  to  the  circumstances  de- 
scribed ?  When  men  are  blinded  by  excessive  light,  what 
takes  place  physically  ? 

'^  Would  the  eye  suppurate,  and  a  scale  form  over  it,  or 
the  eye  be  glued  up  ?  Saul's  eye-lids  by  the  way  were  not 
glued  up,  for  Acts  ix.  8,  '  When  his  eyes  were  opened, 
he  saw  no  man.'  What  I  want  to  know  is,  does  the 
sacred  text,   connecting   the  blindness    owing  to  excessive 


202  Life  of  Dea?i  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

light  with  the  falling  of  the  scales,  describe  any  known 
ophthalmic  phenomenon ;  or  is  the  latter  detail  to  be  under- 
stood of  something  supernatural  representing  rather  than 
attending  the  recovery  of  sight  ?^' 

To  Dr.  Tischendorf. 

"  I  feel  myself  to  be  under  such  great  obligations  to  you 
in  the  Digest  of  various  readings  in  my  second  volume  of 
the  Greek  Testament,  that  I  cannot  forbear  from  writing 
to  you  this  private  acknowledgment,  in  addition  to  the 
public  one  which  I  shall  make  in  my  Prolegomena.  I  enclose 
a  specimen,  from  which  you  will  see  what  my  obligations 
to  you  have  been. 

"  The  nature  and  extent  of  these,  as  well  as  those  to 
Lachmann  and  others  I  shall  fully  state,  as  indeed  I  did, 
though  it  escaped  your  notice  in  my  first  volume.  The  en- 
closed will  show  j'^ou  that  the  whole  critical  construction  of 
my  second  volume  is  different  from  that  of  Vol.  i.,  which 
was  a  crude  and  ill-digested  production.  A  second  edition  of 
it  is  now  called  for,  which,  if  my  health  and  strength  suffice, 
I  shall  make  uniform  with  Vol.  ii.  Will,  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  state  in  your  answer,  how  I  may  convey  to  you  the 
two  volumes  when  published,  which  I  hope  may  be  by  Oc- 
tober next  ? 

"  Your  much  obliged  and  humble  fellow-labourer.^^ 

To  John  Ruskin,  Esq. 

"  Concerning  slieepfolds,  one  mistake  has  been  made  by 
our  translators,  and  generally  in  the  rendering  of  a  most  im- 
portant passage,  John  x.  16,  koX  yevija-erai.  fxia  irolfivr],  et? 
iroLf.crjv,  ^and  there  shall  be  one  _/?ocA;,  one  Shephei'd :'  not 
'  one  fold,'  which  is  avXt]  just  before  ;  the  distinction  is  one 
of  some  moment,  as  the  verse  is  much  used  by  the  Pro- 
crusteans  in  arguing  for  then*  *■  spatia  iniqua*  of  outward 
uniformity.  You  will,  I  know,  excuse  my  addressing  you 
as  long  ago  a  literary — now  a  theological  acquaintance.  I 
do   so  on   account  of  the  thorough  sympathy  which   I  feel 


185 1 ]  The  Papal  Aggression.  203 

with  your  ti'act,  and  because  I  thought^  from  one   or  two 
expressions  in  it,  that  you  had  not  noticed  the  above. ^^ 

To  Dk.  Kitto. 
"  Thank  you  for  your  intention  of  reviewing  me :  every 
discussion  of  such  a  subject,  whether  favourably  or  unfavour- 
ably to  me  personally,  must  be  good.  Apathy  to  Biblical 
research  is  our  great  enemy.  I  only  hope  all  the  Reviews 
will  deal  with  me  before  I  go  to  press  with  the  second  edition, 
that  I  may  get  as  many  hints  as  possible  for  improvement. 
I  get  more  and  more  dissatisfied  with  the  book  as  it  is,  and 
I  am  continually  making  resolutions  respecting  the  second 
edition.^^ 

The  Brief  of  the  Pope  creating  a  Roman  Catholic  Hier- 
archy in  England  was  published  at  the  end  of  September, 
1850,  and  was  followed  in  November  by  Lord  John  Russell^s 
famous  "Durham  Letter."  The  Ecclesiastical  Titles  Bill 
was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Commons  on  February  7, 
and  on  the  22nd  the  Russell  Ministry  retired  from  office, 
though  only  for  ten  days.  These  events  by  which  the  whole 
kingdom  was  kept  for  several  weeks  in  a  state  of  agitation, 
are  referred  to  in  the  following  letter  : — 

To  HIS  Father. 
"How  very  remarkable  it  is  that  the  Pope,  who  could 
not  keep  himself  on  his  seat,  should  be  able  to  throw 
such  a  hand-grenade  into  England  as  to  upset  the  Govern- 
ment and  throw  all  sorts  of  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  new 
one  !  That  God  may  bring  good  out  of  it  I  do  not  doubt. 
I  deprecate  all  revival  of  intolerance,  but  think  it  well  to 
show  his  Holiness,  that  it  requires  two  to  play  at  dividing  all 
England  into  dioceses.  I  am  not  sorry  that  abundance  of 
unmistakable  protestations  have  been  sent  up  from  the  land. 
The  High  Churchmen  have  certainly  done  service  in  their 
day,  but  their  proceedings  have  not  been  wise,  and  I  am  not 
sorry  they  should  have  a  check." 

He  was  one  of  the  multitude  who  went  to  London  in  May, 


204  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

1851,  to  see  the  Great  Exhibition  in  Hyde  Park.  His  im- 
pressions of  that  wonderful  spectacle  are  recorded  in  the 
following  letter : — 

To    HIS   y*^IPE. 

"ilIa.t/18. 

"  It  far  surpasses  any  idea  you  can  get  by  reading ;  and 
indeed,  all  one  can  say  after  the  bewilderment  of  one 
day's  view  is,  that  this  earth  never  saw  any  thing  like  it 
before,  and  perhaps  never  may  again.  I  must  leave  all  par- 
ticulars till  we  meet.  I  was  within  a  few  yards  of  Prince 
Albert,  who  was  walking  about  inspecting  things  just  like 
any  body  else,  only  with  a  little  space  kept  round.  The 
Queen  was  walking  with  the  Prince  of  Prussia,  and  Prince 
Albert  with  the  Princess  of  Prussia;  they  were  talking 
German.  The  Archbishop,  many  Bishops,  and  the  old 
Duke  were  there.  I  remained  all  day,  and  just  had  time 
to  run  through  the  greater  part  of  it,  and  arranged  a 
definite  plan  of  four  days,  for  us  and  the  girls  to  see  it 
thoroughly. 

"At  the  Literary  Fund  dinner  I  heard  Alison  give  an 
energetic  speech.  .  .  .  Thackeray  a  capital  one.  I  sat  next 
to,  and  became  acquainted  with  Stanley,  the  biographer  of 
Arnold.  At  the  Royal  Academy  there  are  some  good  pic- 
tures ;  a  striking  one  of  Landseer's,  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
on  the  Field  of  "Waterloo. '' 

The  plan  announced  above  he  carried  into  effect,  by  bring- 
ing his  wife  and  children  on  June  16,  to  London,  where  we 
spent  thirteen  days.  A  few  brief  notes  which  he  made  at 
this  time,  record  our  visits  from  Haverstock  Hill  to  the 
Exhibition  on  the  19th,  20th;  23rd,  "65,000  persons  there;" 
24th,  "nearly  70,000  present:"  to  Hampton  Court;  to  the 
National  Gallery,  and  "  a  very  beautiful  moving  diorama  of 
the  Holy  Land ;  to  the  House  of  Lords  and  Westminster 
Abbey.  In  the  intervals  he  carried  on  his  work  at  Somer- 
set House  as  Examiner  in  Logic ;  and  on  the  two  Sundays 
he  preached  in  Trinity  Church    (St.   Pancras),  at  Bedford 


185  f]  The  Christian  RciiicuLbraiucr.  205 

Chapel,  aud  at  St.  MichaeFs,  Chester  Square.  Ou  the  30th, 
he  took  us  back  to  Wymeswold,  though  some  duty  at 
Somerset  House  compelled  him  to  return  to  Loudon  the 
same  evening. 

He  went  again  to  London  to  preach  a  sermon  for  the 
Scripture  Eeaders^  Society,  in  St.  Michael's  Chmxh,  Chester 
Square,  on  July  13th.  On  the  following  Monday,  he  saw 
the  article  in  the  "  Christian  Eemembrancer,"  No.  73,  for 
July,  1851,  on  the  first  volume  of  his  Greek  Testament, 
which  had  now  been  a  year  and  eight  months  before  the 
public.  His  only  observation  on  reading  it  was,  "  Yery 
bitter  and  severe,  but  not  I  think  damaging.''  The  next 
day  he  wrote  an  answer  to  the  "  Christian  Eemembrancer  " 
in  the  "  Guardian ;"  and  soon  afterwards  he  published  a 
pamphlet  of  fifty-five  pages,  '^  Audi  alteram  partem  :  a  Eeply 
to  an  Article  in  the  Christian  Remembrancer."  That  the 
article  contained  useful  suggestions,  of  which  he  subse- 
quently availed  himself,  he  was  ready  to  acknowledge.  But 
no  one  who  has  read  it  will  be  surprised  at  the  terms  in 
which  immediately  after  reading  it,  he  describes  it  in  a  letter 
to  his  father  from  Wymeswold,  July  18th. 

"  I  saw  in  London  the  article  in  the  '  Christian  Eemem- 
brancer.' It  is,  as  I  suspect,  intended  to  demolish  me 
entirely.  The  grand  charge  is  that  of  compiling  from 
German  sources,  which  in  the  advertisement  of  my  book 
I  proposed  to  do.  They  announce  it  as  a  grand  discovery, 
parade  the  passages  in  parallel  columns,  and  denounce  me  as 
a  convicted  felon.  They  are  very  severe  on  a  few  disputed 
points  of  scholarship,  and  point  out  a  few  carefully-culled 
inaccuracies  as  specimens  of  the  book.  I  have  sent  a  few 
lines  of  explanation  of  the  charges  of  compiling  to  the  High 
Church  weekly  paper,  the  '  Guardian,'  as  likely  to  meet  the 
eye  of  the  same  readers  as  the  review.  The  article  will  not 
do  much  harm.   .   .  . 

"  The  '  Edinburgh '  article  is  much  better :  very  faint  in 
praise,  but  friendly  in  spirit,  pointing  out  various  defects  and 
inaccuracies,  and  differing  in  many  points  open  to  debate. 
The  general  aspect  of  the  paper  is  to  make  people  think  that 


2o6  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

it  is  a  laborious  and  praisowortliy  work  ill  executed,  so  tliat 
I  fear  neither  article  will  do  much  for  the  book ;  but,  at  all 
events,  this  will  add  to  its  notoriety,  and  thus  do  it  service. 
It  is  said  that  to  be  well  abused  is  the  next  best  thing  to 
being  well  praised,  and  I  am  sure  that  for  an  author  it  is  the 
better  thing,  inducing  more  caution  and  self-distrust  than 
the  other." 

To  a  friend  who  expressed  fear  for  the  effect  of  such  criti- 
cism on  him,  he  wrote  : — 

"  I  beg  to  assui'e  jou  I  am  alive  and  well,  and  happy  and 
of  a  good  conscience,  notwithstanding  the  charges  made 
against  me." 

His  reply  was  adverted  to  two  years  afterwards,  July, 
1853,  by  the  "  Christian  Remembrancer,"  in  an  article  on 
the  second  volume.  The  least  justifiable  charge  of  the  re- 
viewer, viz.  that  of  a  design  to  conceal  his  obligations  to 
Continental  critics,  was  not  reiterated.  The  improved  system 
on  which  the  text  was  arranged  in  the  second  volume  was 
acknowledged,  while  credit  for  it  was  claimed,  not  unfairly, 
as  due  to  the  reviewer.  If,  on  the  one  hand,  it  may  be  said 
that  his  prediction  that  the  book  would  be  cleared  away  to 
make  room  for  a  better  has  not  been  justified  by  the  ex- 
perience of  the  last  twenty  years,  it  must,  on  the  other 
hand,  be  acknowledged  that  his  anticipation  that  the  first 
volume  would  lead  to  greater  and  more  mature  efforts  in 
the  field  of  sacred  exegesis,  was  fulfilled ;  though,  perhaps, 
in  a  quarter  where  it  was  not  looked  for,  by  the  readi- 
ness with  which  the  author  so  severely  criticized,  adopted 
every  suggestion  of  his  critics  which  appeared  to  him  likely 
to  conduce  to  the  great  end  of  his  labour — the  more  ac- 
curate knowledge  and  deeper  understanding  of  the  Word 
of  God. 

He  thus  records,  in  a  letter  to  his  father,  the  only  notice 
which  the  "  Remembrancer"  took  of  his  pamphlet  at  the 
time  of  its  publication  : — 

"  The  '  Christian  Remembrancer'  this  month  has  taken 
notice  of  my  answer  very  laconically,  among  their  short 
notices  of  books  at  the  end  of  their  review,  thus : — '  That 


1852]  Lectures  at  Loiighhoroiigh,  &c.  207 

Mr.  Alforcl  should  bo  dissatisfied  with  our  article  on  him,  is 
natural ;  that  he  should  reply  to  it  in  a  pamphlet,  is  reason- 
able ;  that  ho  should  write  with  courtesy  and  in  a  Christian 
spirit,  is  creditable.' '' 

During  the  remainder  of  this  year  he  continued  to  work  at 
Wyraeswold,  for  many  hours  daily,  on  the  second  volume  of 
his  Greek  Testament ;  although  neither  that  nor  the  cares  of 
his  parish,  and  of  his  daughters'  education,  were  allowed  so 
entirely  to  absorb  his  mind  as  to  prevent  his  attention  being 
given  occasionally  to  mechanical  inventions^  to  manual  work 
in  his  garden  and  greenhouse,  and  to  the  political  questions 
of  the  day.  He  wrote  this  autumn  a  short  article  in  the 
"  Christian  Observer"  on  Paget's  '^  Unity  and  Order  of  St. 
Paul's  Epistles."  In  December^  though  he  was  working  very 
hard  to  complete  the  second  volume  of  the  Greek  Testament 
before  Christmas,  he  went  to  Loughborough  to  examine  a 
school,  and  to  deliver  a  lecture  on  "  The  Poets  of  the  Last 
Century."  His  sermon  on  December  28  is  recorded  by  a 
hearer  to  have  been  very  striking :  — 

"  He  always  has  a  special  sermon  for  the  last  Sunday  in 
the  year.  He  mentioned  the  events  of  the  last  year,  the 
Papal  Aggression,  the  Exhibition,  and  the  French  Revo- 
lution." 

Early  in  January,  1852,  our  friend,  Miss  Mott,  came  to 
spend  with  us  at  Wymeswold  the  last  weeks  of  her  single 
life.  She  was  married  to  the  Rev.  John  Martin,  on  January 
20,  in  the  same  church  where  my  husband  had  christened 
her  elevens  year  previously.  In  the  same  month  he  was 
cheered  by  receiving  from  his  publishers  the  welcome  tidings 
that  a  second  edition  of  the  first  volume  of  his  Greek  Testa- 
ment was  called  for. 

About  this  time  his  friends  appear  to  have  begun  to  appre- 
ciate more  highly  his  power  as  a  lecturer.  His  first  lecture 
was  delivered  under  unfortunate  circumstances  in  February, 
1847  (see  page  153)  ;  and  I  have  a  list  of  more  than  twenty 
lectures  which  he  composed  between  1851  and  1869,  and 
delivered,  many  of  them  again  and  again,  in  various  places. 
His  favourite  lecture  at  this  period  was  "  Saul  of  Tarsus," 


2o8  Life  of  DecDi  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

first  delivered  at  Loughborougli,  1851,  subsequently  in  Not- 
tingham^ Leicester^  &c.,  &c.,  and  Loudon.  It  was  published 
in  the  "  Exeter  Hall  Lectures"  for  the  year  1855,  and  it 
formed  the  basis  of  an  article  which  he  wrote  in  the  "  Edin- 
burgh Review"  in  January,  1858.  His  lectures  on  "  The 
Queen^s  English"  gradually  grew  into  a  small  volume,  which 
he  published  in  1863. 

His  lectures  on  "The  Prose  Writers  of  the  17th  Cen- 
tury," "  The  Intelligent  Study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures," 
"  True  and  False  Guides,"  "  English  Descriptive  Poetry," 
"  Christianity  of  the  Future,"  &c.,  were  published.  Others, 
on  Music,  Sound,  Athens,  "  Paradise  Lost/^  Scenery,  Can- 
terbury Cathedral;  a  Short  Sketch  of  Sepulchral  Tombs, 
from  Rachel's  Tomb  down  to  the  present  day,  illustrated 
by  Brasses,  &c.,  &c. ;  Astronomy,  the  Greek  Drama,  the 
MSS.  of  the  Greek  Testament,  &c.,  &c.,  were  not  published. 

Besides  these  lectures — most  of  which,  if  not  all,  were 
written — he  used  frequently  to  invite  his  parishioners  to  a 
simple  evening  lecture,  generally  on  some  scientific  subject. 
Notices  of  these  parish  lectures  were  lithographed  by  him- 
self, and  sent  out. 

About  this  time  he  conceived  a  project  of  writing  a  poem, 
entitled  "  Jerusalem,  the  Holy  City,"  in  twelve  books.  This 
was  the  origin  of  the  lines  which  appear  in  his  "  Poems,'^ 
p.  323,  under  the  title  of  "  A  Fragment  of  a  long-pondered 
Poem." 

He  determined  to  take  his  daughters  to  town  this  year  for 
the  improvement  of  their  education,  especially  by  attending 
the  lectures  at  Queen's  College,  Harley  Street ;  and  he  wrote 
accordingly  to  his  father  : — 

"  I  have  made  all  the  arrangements  to  have  my  house 
occupied  and  parish  attended  to  dui-ing  our  three  months' 
absence  in  London;  for  the  more  convenience  in  point  of 
distance  I  have  taken  lodgings  in  Welbeck  Street,  not  far 
from  Queen's  College,  where  our  girls  will  go  daily," 

About  a  fortnight  after  reaching  London  he  seems,  from 
the  following  letter  to  his  father,  to  have  pi-eached  at  Quebec 
Chapel  fur  the  first  time  : — 


1852]  Visits  Lo7idon,  209 

^'  I  preaclied  last  Sunday  (May  9)  in  the  morning  at  Quebec 
Chapel,  the  resort  of  Portman  Square  people ;  a  fashionable 
congregation,  with  a  staff  of  professional  singers  in  the 
gallery.     In  the  evening  I  preached  at  Hamilton's*. 

"  I  attended  yesterday  morning  a  great  meeting  at  Exeter 
Hall  in  favour  of  the  retention  of  the  Crystal  Palace  on  its 
present  site,  and  heard  good  speeches  from  Lords  Shaftes- 
bury and  Harrowby,  the  Duke  of  Argyll,  Mr.  Hume,  and 
Dr.  Cumming,  and  its  projector,  Paxton,  From  the  enthu- 
siasm shown,  and  the  names  of  those  who  have  offered  them- 
selves as  trustees  and  guarantors,  headed  by  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire  and  Lord  Carlisle,  I  should  think  there  is  now  a 
fair  prospect  of  its  preservation.  I  gave  a  lecture  on  the 
Prose  Writers  of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  to  Mr.  Gurney's 
Literary  Institution.  A  London  audience  is  so  different 
from  rural  ones,  the  very  faces  are  encouraging  from  their 
intelligence  and  sympathy.  I  received  a  card  from  Lord 
Rosse,  inviting  me  to  the  soiree  of  the  Royal  Society.  I 
suppose  this  is  owing  to  my  position  as  Examiner." 

During  our  stay  in  London,  which  lasted  till  July  8,  he 
had  access  to  many  books  which  he  was  unable  to  consult  at 
Wymeswold;  he  renewed  many  old  friendships,  and  enjoyed 
extended  intercourse  with  literary  people. 

Not  long  after  our  return,  a  German  lady,  Miss  Von 
Stadlinger,  came  to  be  an  inmate  in  our  home  to  super- 
intend the  education  of  our  daughters.  The  change  from 
the  excitement  of  London  to  our  quiet  parsonage  was  great, 
but  not  unpleasant.     He  thus  mentions  it  in  his  journal : — 

"July  10. — We  have  returned  home  after  our  three 
months'  sojourn  in  town.  Mercies  as  ever  have  been 
abundant.  We  live  in  our  own  pretty  parsonage,  which, 
with  our  garden,  is  all  our  own  making.  I  have  a  study 
which  is  a  perfect  hermitage,  filled  with  every  avrapKeia 
imaginable.  Our  rooms  are  full  of  memorials  of  pleasant 
tours  and  happy  times  gone  by,  and  we  have  a  nice  green- 


*  The  Rev.  J.   H.   Hamilton,  then  incumbont  of    St.  Michael's,   Chester 
Square. 

P 


2IO  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

house  opening  to  our  drawing-room,  whicli  furnishes  us 
with  employment  in  unfavourable  weather,  and  where  I  can 
literally  sit  under  my  own  vine  and  my  own  fig-tree ;  but  all 
this  is  nothing  to  our  higher  and  holier  comforts  and  joys. 
I  have,  by  God^s  mercy,  and  I  may  speak  for  my  dearest 
Fanny  too,  been  enabled  to  lay  hold  on  the  anchor  of  the 
soul  sure  and  steadfast;  and,  therefore,  to  look  forward  to 
suflfering  and  death  as  nothing  to  be  dreaded,  and  to  eternity 
as  a  glorious  entrance  on  my  final  and  more  exalted  state. 
O,  praise  be  to  God  who  has  given  me  this  hope,  now  that  I 
am  passing  the  prime  of  life  and  looking  down  the  valley  of 
years." 

Not  long  after  our  return  he  went  with  his  young  brother, 
Bradley  Alford,  for  a  short  tour  in  Wales.  Not  the  most 
pleasing  part  of  their  experience  is  recorded  in  the  following 
lines  which  he  sent  in  a  letter  to  our  eldest  daughter : — 

"  Llanlerris,  August  3. 

"  If  you  ask  me  to  put  together, 
Some  account  of  this  morning's  weather, 
I  will  try  ;  but  if  I  should  fail 
'Tis  not  for  want  of  rain  and  hail : 
For  at  this  moment  the  rain  is  pouring, 
Rushing  and  shooting,  and  hissing  and  roaring ; 
First  against  the  window  dashing, 
Then  on  the  roads,  and  glass-plat  plashing  j 
And  all  the  torrents  are  raising  a  cry. 
To  make  up  for  so  many  weeks  of  dry ; 
Racing  and  plunging  their  leap  to  take, 
Into  the  rain-drop  mother  lake. 
Above,  the  clouds  in  gi-ey  procession 
Of  all  the  mountains  have  got  possession, 
Save,  where  some  rock,  more  bold  than  the  rest, 
Looks  from  the  mist  with  its  great  black  crest, 
Or  waterfall  flies  from  crag  to  crag. 
Like  petrified  lightning  with  fork  and  jag. 

*  *  *  *  # 

"  We  are  sitting  quite  uncertain 
Staring  beneath  the  window  curtain, 
Sitting  and  walking  as  we  list, 
Missing  the  view,  and  viewing  the  mist — 
For,  alas  !  the  horrible  rain, 
Has  begun  to  patter  again : 
And  the  wind,  which  this  morning  long 
From  the  south  was  blowing  strong. 
As  if  we  weren't  siifEciently  drown'd, 
To  due  north  has  shifted  round ; 
And  the  clouds,  instead  of  bidding  good-bye. 
Again  drive  over,  again  let  fly ; 
To  be  continued,  unless  weather  vary, 
Another  day  in  a  letter  to  Mary." 


1852]  Illness  of  his  Father.  211 

About  this  time  he  wrote  the  lyrical  poem,  '^  De  Profundis*' 
C^  Poems,"  p.  263). 

In  the  autumn  of  1852,  while  he  was  carrying  the  second 
volume  of  the  Greek  Testament  through  the  press,  and 
writing  for  the  "  Edinburgh  Review "  an  article  on  Cony- 
beare  and  Howson's  "  Life  of  St.  Paul,"  he  received  a  sum- 
mons to  Tonbridge,  where  his  father,  now  in  his  seventy-first 
year,  was  lying  on  a  bed  of  sickness  from  which  he  never 
rose.  Immediately  after  arriving  at  Tonbridge  he  wrote 
as  follows : — 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  As  soon  as  I  came  my  father  said  to  me,  '  You  see, 
Henry,  God  is  taking  down  this  earthly  tabernacle,  but  He 
is  doing  it  gently.^ 

"I  went  to  Tonbridge  Wells  to  get  him  some  com- 
forts. I  thought  of  our  going  to  Torquay  for  Amby's  little 
things  on  that  last  sad  Friday. 

''  I  cannot  leave  my  father,  as  they  could  not  possibly 
go  on  without  me ;  both  my  father  and  mother  wish  to  have 
me  here  to  refer  to  and  consult  with ;  this  arrangement  will, 
of  course,  be  a  self-denial  to  me,  in  cutting  me  off  so  much 
from  my  happy  home  and  from  you,  but  I  feel  it  must  be 
so  at  present.  I  give  you  a  long  list  of  books  to  send,  for 
I  must  go  on  with  my  work ;  the  publishers  are  waiting  for 
me.  Alice  can  help  you  in  packing,  Mary  in  selecting,  and 
Miss  Yon  Stadlinger  with  the  German  books.  You  must 
please  make  all  the  cuttings  this  year,  and  soon  in  case  of 
frost.  I  send  you  a  plan  of  the  beds.  The  choice  gera- 
niums are  where  I  have  dotted  my  plan.  Whilst  giving  you 
these  directions,  I  have  fancied  myself  in  the  pure  air  of  my 
own  dear  home,  with  all  your  faces  beaming  on  me,  but  my 
present  post  is  by  the  bed  of  my  dear  father,  to  lift  his 
emaciated  form  and  watch  his  faintest  whispers  for  help  ; 
and  I  am  content  it  should  be  so.  Mine  has  been,  as  you 
say,  no  ordinary  father,  and  no  ordinary  man,  and  every 
thing  that  I  can  do  shall  be  done,  to  ease  and  comfort  him 
in  his  last  moments. 

p  2 


212  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

"  So  the  old  Duke  is  gone  at  last*,  one  of  the  greatest  of 
this  world's  men.  I  told  my  father  of  it,  but  he  was  too  ill  to 
heed  it." 

A  page  in  the  sheet  which  contained  the  above  letter 
was  reserved  for  his  younger  daughter,  then  troubled  with 
some  trifling  ailment,  to  whom  he  wrote  as  follows : — 

"  I  hope  by  this  time  the  ache  in  its  upward  progress  has 
got  far  beyond  the  head,  and  is  in  fact  in  its  way  to  the 
zenith.  Did  it  touch  the  little  curls  by  the  way  ?  You  will 
see  in  mamma's  part  all  about  dear  grandpapa.  He  is,  I 
fear,  very  ill,  and  will  not,  to  all  appearance,  be  spared  to 
us  much  longer;  but  he  is  very  patient  and  cheerful,  and 
speaks  of  his  death  quite  as  calmly  as  we  should  speak  of 
a  journey  to  London.  This  is  the  state  of  mind,  my  own 
dear  child,  in  which  we  should  ever  be  as  regards  death, 
steady  in  faith  and  hope,  knowing  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  has  been  in  the  dark  valley  before  us,  and  there  are 
now  no  terrors  there. 

"  I  have  been  writing  multitudes  of  letters.  You  will 
both  like  much  '  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.'  You  must  put  all 
the  tears  in  a  bottle  for  me  when  I  come.  You  will  find 
plenty  of  bottles  in  a  cupboard  near  the  servant's  room. 
Adieu,  mein  Liebchen.  Pray  give  my  respects  to  the 
Fraulein,  and  many  kisses  to  Alice." 

The  next  letter  shows  the  increasing  weakness  of  the 
patient.  It  contains  also  a  reference  to  an  offer  (which 
sprung  out  of  the  recent  visit  to  London)  to  place  him  in  the 
Incumbency  of  Quebec  Chapel : — 

"Dr.  S.  Thompson  says  there  is  no  hope  at  all.  I 
could  not  leave  him,  and  the  nurse  likes  me  to  be  near,  so 
I  have  been  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in  his  room  cor- 
recting the  last  sheet  of  my  second  volume.  He  asked  me 
how  my  second  volume  was  going  on,  I  told  him  I  was 
then  correcting  the  last  sheet.  As  he  had  begun  to  speak, 
I  put  in  a  word  respecting  a  difficulty  of  my  own,  namely, 
the  offer  of  the  Incumbency  of  Quebec  Chapel  in  London. 


The  Duke  of  Wellington  died  on 


1852]  Death  of  hts  Father.  213 

His  opinion  was  that  I  ouglit  not  to  lose  sight  of  it,  but 
keep  it  in  view,  and,  if  possible,  eventually  accept  it.    .    .    . 

''  I  am  nearly  worn  out ;  but  any  thing  for  him,  if  we 
could  keep  his  valued  life  a  few  weeks  longer,  but  I  fear 
not.  His  will  be  done,  and  God  will  bring  good  out  of  it, 
glory  to  Himself,  and  everlasting  bliss  to  that  dear  one  whose 
every  breath  we  are  watching,  believing  it  may  introduce  the 
final  change.'^ 

His  father  died  on  the  22nd  September,  and  I  received 
the  following  letter  from  my  husband  : — 

"  S&ptemher  22. 

"  It  is  over.  Our  dear  father  is  just  gone,  and  so  peace- 
fully, that  we  did  not  know  when.  His  last  moments 
were  very  sweet  and  glorious,  not  a  doubt,  not  a  cloud 
ever  disturbed  the  serenity  of  his  faith.  When  I  came 
to  his  bed-side  for  the  last  time  he  said,  '  I  cannot  see,' 
then  added,  '  So  much  the  rather  Thou  shine  inward ' ;' 
and  then,  ^I  hail  every  symptom.'' 

"  These  were  his  last  words ;  dear  blessed  saint,  he  now 
is  in  glory  with  all  our  dear  ones  who  have  gone  before, 
and  one  of  the  cloud  of  witnesses.  0  may  we  have  grace 
to  follow,  and  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  look  to  Jesus 
as  he  did.  He  was  a  holy  and  humble  servant  of  God, 
if  ever  such  a  one  was  seen :  the  friend,  adviser,  and 
counsellor,  and  example  of  us  all,  whose  quiet  feeling, 
unerring  judgment,  and  loving  spirit  made  him  powerful 
for  good  even  where  others  had  no  power. 

"  I  feel  very  sad.  I  have  lost  my  best  and  earliest  friend 
and  adviser,  perhaps  the  only  person  in  the  world  who 
understood  me,  and  could  feel  with  me — now  I  must  bear  up 
alone ;  but  I  am  willing,  if  God  sees  it  good  for  me,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  it  is.  You  will,  I  know,  help  me  and  the 
dear  girls,  give  them  my  very  best  love,  and  tell  Miss  S. 
all,  she  has  an  impressible  heart,  and  it  may  do  her  good 
as  well  as  us.'' 


Paradise  Lost,"  Book  iii.,  near  the  beginniug. 


214  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VI. 

After  the  funeral,  whicli  took  place  at  Curry  Eivell,  on 
September  29,  lie  thus  wrote  to  his  stepmother  on  the  same 
day  from  Heale  House  : — 

"  All  has  gone  on  as  you  proposed,  and  as  you  and  my 
dearest  father  would  have  wished.  It  was  exactly  two 
o'clock  as  we  went  from  Curry  Church  to  the  grave.  He  is 
laid  by  the  corner  of  the  schoolroom,  close  to  Walter's 
little  boy  ;  *  Till  He  come®.'  Now,  my  dearest  mother,  let  us 
support  and  cheer  one  another  along  what  remains  of  our 
appointed  way,  till  we  join  him  at  rest.  I  believe  we 
thoroughly  understand  one  another,  and  feel  for  one  another. 
Whenever  you  feel  disposed  to  write  to  me,  you  know  what 
delight  it  will  give  me  to  receive  an  answer,  and  I  shall  look 
for  your  letters  as  I  did  for  his ;  and  whenever  you  would 
like  to  see  me,  just  say  so,  and  I  will  make  it  a  point  of  duty 
to  come." 

The  following  letters  to  his  two  daughters  were  written 
a  few  days  afterwards  while  he  was  yet  in  Somersetshire. 
They  may  serve  to  show  how  carefully  he  took  every  suit- 
able occasion  to  draw  out  for  his  children  the  lessons  which 
God  teaches  us  by  the  events  of  our  life : — 

"  Men  talk  of  victories  over  kingdoms  and  nations ;  but 
depend  upon  it,  in  the  end,  it  will  be  found  that  no  victories 
have  been  so  glorious  as  men's  victories  over  themselves. 
Our  characters  lie  very  deep,  and  can  only  be  changed  by 
the  continual  seeking  of  grace  through  life.  But  you  have 
Jesus  to  help  you,  and  His  throne  of  grace  ever  open  all  day 
long  for  you  to  lift  up  your  heart  to  Him  for  strength 

'^  I  know  I  sometimes  speak  harsh  words  to  you,  dearest, 
but  I  should  not  do  so ;  we  must  try  to  bear  one  another's 
burdens,  and  make  allowances  for  one  another.  I  love  you, 
my  darling  child,  very,  very  dearly.  Yours  were  the  first 
bright  little  eyes  that  ever  looked  on  me  with  that  look 
which  none  but  one's  own  flesh  and  blood  can  give.  Yours 
the  first  prattling  tongue  that  ever  called  me  papa.     God 


«  The  words  which  he  wished  put  ou  his  tomb. 


1852]  Letters  to  his  Daughters.  215 

bless  you,  my  own  child,  and  strengthen  your  good  resolu- 
tions. Your  letter  made  my  eyes  overflow  with  tears.  May 
we  be  a  blessing  to  one  another,  and  dear  mamma  and  our 
beloved  Mary  in  this  life,  and  be  united  to  our  sainted  ones 
in  a  glorious  eternity." 

"  Thank  you,  my  child,  for  the  fervent  afiection  which  you 
express,  and  I  know  you  feel  for  me.  I  trust  I  shall  ever 
return  it,  and  be  spared  to  guide  your  mind  and  your  course 
through  the  days  of  youth,  and  see  you  settled  in  the  world. 
If  you  are  a  child  of  God  by  faith  in  Ohi'ist,  as  dear  grand- 
papa was,  it  will  not  matter  whether  death  comes  early  or  late 
to  you,  it  will  only  be  a  removal  to  a  higher  and  happier 
state,  not  really  any  thing  dreadful  or  to  be  afraid  of.  I  only 
wish,  dear  child,  that  when  you  stand  over  my  death-bed,  as 
I  hope  you  may,  you  may  see  as  calm  and  as  peaceful  a 
departure  as  his  was.  In  order  to  this,  let  us  live  in  God^s 
faith  and  fear,  and  in  holy  love  with  each  other,  and  do  His 
will  with  all  our  might  whilst  there  is  time. 

"  I  have  not  a  Wymeswold  hymn-book  with  me ;  but  you 
must  do  for  the  best.  I  think  '  Lo  He  comes '  will  do  for 
one  hymn ;  the  tune  is  Helmsley,  which  you  can  soon  learn. 
Or  you  might  play  '  Sicilian  Mariners ; '  but  I  have  no  doubt 
you  will  manage  somehow  '. 

"  I  have  been  all  day  making  my  funeral  sermon  for  dear 
grandpapa,  which  I  preach  at  Curry,  on  Sunday  morning. 
The  text  is  1  Peter  i.  5,  ^Kept  by  the  power  of  God 
through  faith  unto  salvation.'  It  was  a  very  favourite  text 
of  his.  There  is  a  great  deal  in  the  sermon  about  him.  I 
only  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  deliver  it  with  a  firm  voice. 
But  God  can  give  me  strength  to  do  so,  and  I  am  sure  it 
will  do  good.  Give  my  best  love  to  mamma  and  Alice,  and 
a  little  slice  to  Miss  S." 

The  quiet  but  not  inactive  life  which  we  led  at  Wymes- 


7  The  organ  in  Wymeswold  Clmrch  was  played  by  an  amateur  residing  in 
the  parish  ;  but  for  many  years,  before  tlxis  gentleman  came  into  the  parish, 
the  Vicar  himself  played  the  organ.  His  younger  daughter  sometimes  took 
his  place  as  on  the  above  occasion. 


2i6  Life  of  Dea?i  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

wold  in  the  early  part  of  1853^  will  be  best  described  by 
giving  a  few  extracts  from  bis  journal.  Sucb  details  will 
not  be  without  their  interest  to  any  readers  who  take 
pleasure  in  observing  how  entirely  he  rejoiced  in  doing  with 
all  his  heart  the  diversified  work  which  lay  immediately  before 
him,  while  yet  he  did  not  fail  to  try  any  opening  into  that 
sphere  of  more  extended  usefulness  towards  which  he  was  led. 

'^  1853.  Jan.  1. — I  commend  myself,  and  all  mine,  and  all 
I  do  or  design,  to  my  gracious  Father^s  care  during  this 
year.  Whatever  I  do,  may  I  do  it  with  my  might;  may 
I  live  to  His  glory ;  and  if  I  am  to  die  this  year,  may  I  die  in 
His  fear  and  enter  into  His  rest.  Keep  me,  O  Lord,  entirely 
regardless  of  men's  opinions,  free  from  ambition,  willing  to 
fill  '  little  space,  so  Thou  be  glorified.' 

""  I  could  wish,  if  possible,  before  my  strength  fails,  to  be 
placed  in  some  situation  where  I  may  preach  to  the  intellec- 
tual and  educated. 

'^  On  the  other  hand,  I  want  to  finish  my  Greek  Testa- 
ment ;  and  what  place  so  good  as  this,  where  I  have  uninter- 
rupted leisure  and  healthy  air ;  but  my  dear  father  on  his 
death-bed  wished  me  to  get  to  London,  that  I  might  be  the 
means  of  serving  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  more  effec- 
tually, by  being  known  and  employed  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage in  the  service  of  my  Lord  and  Master. 

^'  Jan.  6. — We  all  five  went  to  the  Strutts  at  Kingston, 
and  had  a  most  pleasant  visit  there.  Such  a  pretty  sight  in 
the  morning  to  see  her  with  all  her  little  tribe  about  her, 
chanting  the  Psalms  at  the  organ  in  the  hall  before  break- 
fast. I  played  on  the  organ  afterwards.  Mrs.  Strutt  ^  read 
us  afterwards  some  of  Mr.  Senior's  '  Diary  in  Ireland' :'  awful 
accounts  of  things  there  when  the  agents  do  their  duty. 
These  holiday  visits  do  good ;  not  only  do  they  enlarge 
acquaintance,  always  a  good  thing  in  this  sulky  world,  but 
they  give  home  duties  a  relish,  and  refresh  literary  resolu- 
tions. 


^  Now  Lady  Helper. 

'  Mr.  N.  W.  Senior's  Journals  have  now  been  published. 


1853]  Wymeswold.  217 

^'  Jan.  10. — Worked  very  hard  in  tlie  morning  at  my 
Greek  Testament ;  in  tlie  afternoon  planted  roses  in  the  dear 
girls'  gardens,  and  in  the  evening  dined  at  Eempstone  :  met 
there  a  lady,  said  to  be  the  best  singer,  rider,  and  swimmer 
in  Scotland.  Copied  Burgon's  poem  on  the  Duke's  funeral 
for  Lady  Sitwell.  Read  an  article  in  the  '  Quarterly,'  demo- 
lishing Disraeli  and  his  government.  At  night  wrote  to 
Rivington  to  send  a  copy  of  Vol.  ii.  of  my  Greek  Testament 
to  Bunsen. 

''Jan.  16, — Received  by  post  the  new  'Edinburgh,'  with 
my  article  on  '  Conybeare  and  Howson's  St.  Paul '  in  it. 
May  each  advance  be  accompanied  with  more  endeavour  to 
humble  and  improve  myself,  and  to  do  good ! 

"Jan.\^. — Read  an  article  in  the  'Edinburgh'  on  'Cathe- 
dral Reform.'  I  agreed  in  the  main  with  it.  It  seems  to  me 
that  they  are  gradually  narrowing  the  ground  for  learned 
men  in  the  Church  of  England,  and  by  consequence  lowering 
the  general  standard  of  the  clergy,  and  the  learning  will  pass 
to  the  Dissenters. 

"Received  some  packets  of  my  dear  father's  letters.  I 
must  soon  set  about  my  labour  of  love,  the  Memoir  of  him ; 
but  when  or  how  to  do  it  I  know  not,  my  time  is  so  occupied. 
Wrote  to  the  '  Critic,'  among  other  things,  offering  to  write 
notices  of  theological  or  poetical  works. 

"Jan.  22. — All  the  morning  very  busy  correcting  proofs; 
then  helped  the  girls  with  their  gardens,  and  planned  some 
alterations  behind  the  laurel  bank.  Got  a  very  nice  letter 
from  Edward  Elliott,  my  father's  old  friend,  offering  me  a 
copy  of  his  '  Horee  Apocalypticae.' 

''Jan.  23. — Sunday  morning,  preached  from  '  God  said.  Let 
there  be  light;'  in  the  evening,  from  Rev.  xxi.  3,  4,  to 
comfort  poor  Miss  Yon  Stadlinger,  who  had  lost  her  sister. 
I  spoke  much  of  the  glories  of  the  new  earth,  when  all  beauti- 
ful things  shall  not  fade,  when  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and 
blossom  as  a  rose.  0  Lord,  hasten  this  happy  day !  Read 
hymns  to  them,  and  I  played  some  tunes  on  the  harp,  and 
spent,  I  hope,  a  profitable  day. 

"Jan.  31. — Went   to  Leicester   to  hear   Sir  H.  Halford 


2 1 8  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap,  VI. 

lecture  on  '  The  Republic  of  Plato/  Much  sparring  about 
Plato  and  Greek  music.  Slept  at  Vaugban's^,  and  bad  a  cbat 
witb  bim  about  my  Greek  Testament. 

"  Feb.  3. — Correcting  proof-sbeets  all  tbe  morning,  tben 
to  Rugby  to  lecture.  Dined  at  Moultrie's.  Mrs.  Moultrie 
showed  me  some  very  beautiful  lines  which  her  husband  had 
lately  written  to  his  eldest  daughter,  also  some  others  called 
'  Anticipation'  and  '  Experience.'  Read  to  her  some  of 
Mrs.  Browning's  things,  '  To  Flush,  my  Dog  '  and  '  The  Cry 
of  the  Children.' 

"  Feb.  6. — Heard  from  RiYington,  agreeing  to  publish  my 
English  Testament.  Heard  also  from  Mr.  Field,  of  Boston, 
with  scraps  from  the  American  papers  criticizing  favourably 
the  Boston  edition  of  my  poems. 

"Feb.  11. — Busy  preparing  specimen  sheets  of  my  pro- 
posed English  Testament. 

"  Afternoon,  stayed  in  and  tried  experiments  with  glass 
and  sand  for  my  lecture  on  '  Sound '  at  Loughborough  next 
week.     Heard  of  a  letter  written  about  me  and  Wymes- 

wold  Church So  troubles  increase  as  we  go  on ;  but 

I  feel  quite  in  heart  to  bear  up  against  them,  thank  God, 
and  would  not  do  any  one  harm  for  all  the  pleasure  it  would 
give  them. 

"March  4. — Preparing  to  give  a  lecture  on  'Athens;* 
wrote  to  Merivale  and  Mr.  Scharf  about  it.  Copying,  with 
some  trouble,  Wordsworth's  picture  of  'Athens  Restored,' 
in  the  frontispiece  of  his  book.  My  picture  must  be  as  large 
as  I  can  make  it.  Fanny  and  I  worked  very  hard  about  it, 
and  she  made  a  map  for  me.     My  only  time  is  late  at  night. 

"  March  5. — Saw  in  the  '  Times'  an  advertisement  of  the 
Classical  Examinership  [in  the  London  University]  held  by 
Jerrard.     Offered  myself  as  candidate. 

"  March  7. — My  lecture  on  '  Athens '  went  off  better  than 
I  expected.  Heard  of  my  election  to  my  old  Examinership, 
and  consequently  not  to  the  classical  one.    Thus  ends  another 


Then  Vicar  of  St.  Martin's,  Leicester. 


1 85 3 J  Quebec  Chapel.  219 

scheme.  I  seem  doomed  to  disappointment  in  every  prospect 
of  more  extended  action  in  this  world.  May  I  learn  to  dis- 
regard such  rebuffs,  and  strive  to  do  actively  and  well  what 
lies  before  me!  Finished  my  critique  on  'Hymnology^ 
this  evening.  Merivale  tells  me  that  Smith,  the  editor  of  the 
'  Dictionary  of  Antiquities/  is  elected  Examiner.^^ 

In  the  previous  year  some  overtures  had  been  made  to 
him  with  reference  to  the  incumbency  of  Quebec  Chapel, 
which  was  in  the  gift  of  his  friend,  the  Kev.  J.  H.  Gurney. 
Eeverting  to  this,  he  wrote,  April  11: — 

To  THE  Kev.  J.  H.  Gueney. 

"  I  wish  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  on  your  proposal 
last  summer  about  Quebec  Chapel.  Many  reasons  have 
set  me  very  seriously  reviewing  your  proposal,  and  I  have 
at  length  determined,  should  it  still  be  open,  and  should 
I  be  enabled  to  do  so  consistently  with  common  financial 
prudence,  to  accept  your  offer ;  but  don't  let  me  for  a  moment 
stand  in  the  way  of  any  of  your  plans.  I  would  rather  with- 
draw the  proposal  altogether,  should  you  consider  it  best.'' 

WTiilst  the  contingency  of  thus  entering  on  a  London  life 
was  under  consideration,  I  felt  quite  reluctant  to  abandon 
our  home  at  Wymeswold,  and  encounter  a  future  the  advan- 
tages of  which  I  was  scarcely  competent  to  appreciate.  My 
sentiments  were  well  known  to  my  husband,  and  he  took  the 
trouble  to  state  his  own  views  in  writing  as  follows : — 

"  I  feel  deeply  my  work  at  Wymeswold  is  done ;  it  has 
been  the  work  of  a  pioneer.  I  have  been  the  means  of  pre- 
paring and  working  for  what  is  to  come ;  but,  like  all  others 
who  do  this,  I  am  not  the  man  to  continue  it. 

"  Untoward  circumstances  have  thrown  me  into  false  posi- 
tions; and  now  that  my  Greek  Testament  withdraws  me 
from  the  parish,  I  have,  and  must  have  to  the  people  in 
general,  the  aspect  of  an  idle  shepherd,  letting  others  do  his 
work ;  and  after  eighteen  years,  as  the  generation  grows  up 
which  knows  not  Joseph,  this  must  infallibly  get  worse  and 
worse.    As  to  my  Greek  Testament,  when  the  second  edition 


220  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VI. 

comes  ovAj,  I  shall  have  arrived  at  a  period  of  my  work  which 
will  require  more  than  any  before  that  I  should  have  access 
to  public  libraries.  The  work  must  go  on  slower,  but  I  trust 
it  will  be  better  done,  and  I  shall  seek  out  the  men  who  have 
worked  on  the  same  subject.     As  to  yourself  .     . 

"  As  to  the  dear  girls,  the  change  would  be  a  most  im- 
portant one,  with  two  sides  to  it  I  own ;  but  in  my  mind 
the  advantages  vastly  preponderating.  As  to  myself,  on 
the  most  favourable  human  calculation,  half  my  ministerial 
course  is  run ;  not  I  would  hope  its  best,  its  most  vigo  - 
rous  half.  Is  it  not  time  to  make  a  break  ?  time  to 
endeavour  to  put  my  talents  to  the  best  account  for  my 
Master's  service  ?  time  to  enter  upon  that  sphere  of  active 
duty  which  shall  be  the  great  field  of  exertion  of  my 
life.  I  want  to  be  in  and  among  the  throng,  doing  God's 
work ;  to  be  telling  from  a  recognized  position  among 
them,  and  not  as  a  mere  charity-lion,  home  truths  to  minds 
cultivated  like  mine  own.  I  feel  the  power,  sometimes  I  can 
use  it.  But  going  to  be  stared  at,  as  a  comet,  effectually 
damps  all  holy  energies,  and  I  shall  never  use  it  aright  or 
effectually,  till  I  stand  on  my  own  watch-tower  as  Christ's 
messenger,  and  speak  His  truth  because  it  is  my  duty  to 
do  so. 

"  As  for  preferment,  I  fairly  tell  you  I  do  not  care  two 
straws  about  it ;  but  a  high  sphere  of  usefulness  I  own  is 
tempting  to  me,  and  it  has  appeared  to  me,  that  this  place  is 
the  path  by  which  God  Himself  is  leading  me  to  such  a 
sphere.  Then  even  more  serious  thoughts  come  in,  suppose  a 
little  self-denial  is  required  in  my  new  position,  suppose  the 
green  fields,  and  the  stores  the  garden  yields  are  not  so  ac- 
ceptable, suppose  what  annoyances  the  imagination  will,  is 
there  not  a  far  weightier  consideration  over-balancing  all 
these  ?  When  I  look  at  the  great  throne  set,  and  the 
books  open,  then  all  doubts  vanish  in  a  moment,  and  I  am 
resolved  to  work  while  it  is  day. 

"  First  trust  me,  which  I  only  mention  first  because  it  is 
in  this  matter  the  necessary  inlet  to  the  other,  and  next  trust 
God  ;  if  we  take  up  this  plan  determined  to  serve  Him,  not 


1853]  Letter  to  Archdeacon  Bicker steth.  221 

neglecting  common  prudence,  but  at  the  same  time,  in  a 
humble  self-sacrificing  spirit.  He  will  bring  us  safe  through, 
never  doubt  it ;  so  let  me  have  at  least  your  sympathy.  Eve 
wept  over  her  flowers.  Eve's  daughter  can  do  no  less.  Eve's 
son  will  have  hard  work  to  get  up  a  dry  parting ;  but  sure  I 
am  of  one  thing,  heaven's  flowers  will  bloom  the  sweeter  for 
it.  God  bless  thee,  and  strengthen  us  for  God's  work,  whether 
here  or  there,  for  Christ's  sake." 

Writing  at  this  time  a  letter  of  congratulation  to  his  early 
friend,  Edward  Bickersteth,  recently  advanced  to  the  Arch- 
deaconry of  Buckingham,  he  says  with  reference  to  his  own 
work  : — 

"  A-gril  14. 

"  I  am  more  hopelessly  than  ever  working  like  a  horse  at 
the  mill,  furnishing  a  daily  portion  of  copy  to  the  printers 
of  my  second  edition  of  Vol.  i.,  which  I  hope  to  make  a  far 
better  book  than  the  first  edition.  I  sent  you  Vol.  ii.  I  am 
glad  to  say  it  is  selling  exceedingly  well. 

"  I  am  projecting  an  English  edition  for  ordinary  readers, 
with  a  text  of  my  own  as  well  as  the  received  text,  I  do 
so  want  to  furnish  during  this  short  life,  which  is  slipping 
away  from  under  me,  some  solid  contribution  to  the  better 
understanding  of  God's  Word  among  us.  The  conviction 
was  very  painfully  forced  on  me  while  engaged  on  Vol.  ii., 
that  the  mere  English  reader  cannot,  and  never  does,  under- 
stand the  Apostle's  arguments  in  Romans,  or  the  First  and 
Second  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians.  The  translators  did 
not  appreciate  the  importance  of  connecting  particles  :  70^0, 
'therefore;' o5i/, 'but;' and  aXXa,  'for,' — these  and  the  like 
renderings  were  not  likely  to  clear  up  passages  otherwise 
obscure.  Salvation  we  trust  and  know  our  people  get 
from  the  present  version,  under  God's  blessing,  but  one 
would  like  them  to  be  made  as  wise  unto  salvation  as  the 
case  admits  of." 

At  length  all  obstacles  were  overcome,  and  our  migration 
to  London  was  decided  on.  He  wrote  to  me  from  London 
on  May  9  : — 

"It  is  just  settled  about  Quebec  Chapel.      I  shall    have 


222  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

400L  a  year  fixed.  I  am  trying  to  get  a  house  in  Upper 
Hamilton  Terrace,  St.  John's  Wood.  Just  been  to  the 
Water  Colour  Exhibition,  which  is  a  great  treat  to  me. 
Yesterday  I  preached  in  St.  Michael's,  Chester  Square. 
I  had  been  reading  Schleiermacher's  sermon  on  the  Chris- 
tian's reward  with  Miss  Von  Stadlinger,  to  prepare  me  for 
my  sermon. 

"  I  find  the  Bishop  of  London  does  not  object  to  me,  so 
now  all  is  right." 

On  the  next  Sunday  (Whitsun  Day,  May  15)  the  following 
entry  was  made  in  his  journal  at  Wymeswold  : — 

"  Evening  with  my  dear  ones  after  preaching  twice.  I 
more  and  more  love  and  enjoy  their  company;  and  now  the 
prospect  of  our  change  seems  to  have  still  more  endeared 
them  to  me,  to  think  that  I  should  be  taking  them  from  so 
pleasant  and  happy  a  home  into  the  great  whirlpool  of 
London  for  my  sake.  0  Lord,  bless  them  with  Thy  richest 
blessings,  and  unite  us  after  this  life  in  the  happy  world  to 
come  with  our  dear  boys,  for  Christ's  sake  ! " 

The  following  letter,  written  on  June  5  from  Heale  House 
to  his  younger  daughter,  will  show  the  intimacy  almost  on 
a  footing  of  equality  which  he  sought  to  maintain  between 
himself  and  his  children  : — 

"  I  got  your  nice  loving  letter  on  my  arrival  here  yester- 
day, and  was  much  amused  and  pleased  with  the  facetiae 
therein  contained.  God  bless  thee,  mine  own  child,  and  re- 
turn all  thy  kindness  and  love  for  me  a  hundred-fold  into 
thine  own  dear  bosom  !  How  blessed  a  thing  it  is  when  one 
desire,  one  love,  one  set  of  thoughts  animate  our  hearts,  to 
please  and  serve  each  other  and  Christ,  and  help  each  other 
onward  in  the  way  to  the  heavenly  country  !  and  I  do  trust 
such  is  the  case  with  my  darling  child  and  me,  we  seem  so 
completely  united,  and  to  understand  each  other  so  well. 

"  May  God's  grace  be  given  abundantly  to  you  and  dear 
Alice,  to  guard  you  from  all  the  temptations  of  the  life  which 
is  now  opening  on  you  !  May  we  be  kept  as  a  Christian  family 
without  any  difierence  or  coldness  to  each  other,  and  each  be 
the  means  of  good  to  the  rest,  as  long  as  we  are   spared 


1853]  Quebec  Chapel.  223 

together  here  !  I  feel  and  know  that  I  am  often  wayward  and 
hasty  to  dear  Alice  and  you,  and  that  my  manner  and  words 
discourage  and  grieve  you.  This  is  very  sinful  in  me ;  and 
when  you  see  it,  you  see  that  your  father  on  earth  is  not  like 
your  Father  in  heaven,  on  whose  brow  there  is  never  a  frown, 
who  never  is  wayward  or  hasty.  Forgive  it,  and  do  not  let  it 
discourage  you,  dearest  children.  Pray  for  me,  and  I  will 
strive  to  be  gentle  and  loving  at  all  times,  and  to  reprove 
not  with  temper,  but  with  equity  and  mildness.^' 

About  the  end  of  June  we  went  for  a  short  tour  in  Wales, 
and  on  our  return  at  Bedgelert  he  received  a  letter  from 
Bishop  Pepys,  of  Worcester,  most  kindly  offering  him  the 
vicarage  of  Grimley  with  Hallow,  and  the  post  of  Examining 
Chaplain.  Had  such  a  post  been  within  his  option  at  an 
earlier  period  (see  page  163),  it  might  have  changed  the 
current  of  his  life.  But  the  decision  had  now  been  made, 
and  we  were  to  move  to  London.  Once,  indeed,  before  our 
removal  he  went  to  town  to  preach  at  Quebec  Chapel.  The 
contrast  between  it  and  the  church  at  Wymeswold  struck 
him  forcibly.     He  wrote  : — 

"  I  have  been  preaching  at  Quebec  Chapel.  What  a  poor 
place  the  chapel  is,  compared  to  my  own  beautiful  church 
where  my  best  energies  have  been  spent  to  make  it  what  it 
is  !  O  Lord,  make  my  ministry  there  the  means  of  saving 
souls  and  of  glorifying  Thee,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord  ! '' 

A  suggestion  was  made  to  him  from  more  than  one 
quarter,  to  the  effect  that  he  should  retain  the  Kving  of 
Wymeswold,  together  with  the  incumbency  of  Quebec 
Chapel.  To  this  he  replied,  after  referring  to  legal 
obstacles  : — 

'^I  have  a  decided  objection  to  pluralities  myself;  where  a 
man^s  duty  is,  there  should  be  his  residence,  and  one  cure  of 
souls  is  enough  for  one  man.'^ 

As  the  time  of  our  removal  drew  nigh,  bringing  with  it  an 
increasing  load  of  small  cares,  my  husband^s  health  suffered 
severely.  One  of  his  anxieties  was  ended  by  a  confirmation, 
which  was  held  in  our  church  at  Wymeswold  on  July  25. 


2  24  ^?/^  of  Dean  Alfo7^d.  [Chap.  VL 

His  daugliters  were  among  tlie  candidates^  and  I  insert  here 
a  letter  wliich  he  wrote  to  them  from  London  on  May  8^  with 
a  view  to  this  important  event  in  their  lives  : — ■ 

"  Chester  Square,  May  8. 
"  It  has  come  into  my  mind  this  Sunday  afternoon  to 
write  to  you  on  the  subject  of  your  approaching  confir- 
mation. I  do  indeed  rejoice^  my  darlings,  that  God  has 
put  it  into  your  hearts  to  desire  to  be  confirmed,  and  that  He 
has  in  His  providence  directed  the  Bishop  to  choose  our  own 
parish  to  confirm  in.  There,  where  you  were  first  dedicated 
to  Christ,  will  you  of  your  own  accord  renew  your  dedica- 
tion to  Him.  For  this  is,  dear  children,  a  dedication  of 
yourselves  to  God,  not  such  a  dedication  as  to  require  your 
retirement  from  social  duties  and  pleasures  and  relations; 
this  would  be  to  fly  from  temptation,  which  we  are  never 
expected  to  do,  and  which  is  but  a  poor  and  cowardly  act 
for  a  soldier  of  Christ ;  but  such  as  to  devote  yourselves, 
your  social  and  private  lives,  your  pleasures  and  duties  and 
pursuits,  your  sorrows  and  joys,  your  affections  and  hopes 
to  Him  who  hath  loved  you  and  given  Himself  for  you.  I 
hope  and  trust,  my  dear  girls,  that  you  are  ready  and 
anxious  to  do  this.  It  is  a  blessed  opportunity  to  give  your 
young  loving  hearts  to  Christ,  with  all  their  many  interests 
and  prospects.  Dear  children,  you  know  not  what  sorrows 
and  temptations,  what  trials  you  have  before  you.  Depend 
upon  it  you  will  want  divine  grace  for  all ;  much  prayer  of 
the  heart,  much  inward  and  real  conflict  in  Christ's  strength  : 
and  now  you  will  be  laying  the  foundation  for  this  conflict, 
enlisting  yourselves,  of  your  own  act  and  word,  under 
Christ's  banner,  to  serve  Him  as  your  Captain.  You 
know,  my  dearest  girls,  that  we  have  brought  you  up 
somewhat  difierently  from  most  children,  with  freedom  of 
intercourse  and  Christian  liberty  and  broadness  of  principle, 
such  as  few  girls  are  taught,  or  accustomed  to  practise. 
Now  is  your  time  to  show  the  advantage  of  this  in  your 
own  characters,  to  become  more  intelligent,  more  sound- 
hearted,  more  mature  Christians.     For  it  is  with  a  view  to 


1853]  Letter  to  Daughters  on  their  Confirmation.  225 

your  higher  and  eternal  good  that  all  this  has  been  done  ;  not 
merely  from  caprice  or  opinion  as  to  your  worldly  interests, 
but  because  we  thought  in  God's  sight  that  it  was  right 
so  to  bring  you  up,  and  to  teach  you  things  which  other 
girls  are  not  taught,  that  you  might  serve  Christ  better.  I 
shall  hope,  at  home  and  while  we  are  in  Wales,  to  say  much 
more  to  you  on  this  subject ;  meantime,  do  let  me  entreat 
you  both  to  make  it  a  subject  of  prayer  to  God.  Pray  to 
Him  to  enable  you  to  see  it  in  its  proper  light,  as  a  bright 
and  joyful  thing  to  give  yourselves  to  Him.  Pray  to  Him 
to  give  you  a  desire  to  glorify  Him  in  your  lives.  Pray  to 
Him  to  guard  you  now  in  the  midst  of  the  temptations 
which  beset  the  lives  of  all  young  women,  and  which  will 
specially  beset  you  both  in  London  where  we  are  going. 
And  as  regards  the  Lord's  Supper,  it  will  be  one  of  the  hap- 
piest moments  of  my  life,  when  I  see  my  own  two  darling 
girls  coming  with  the  assembled  church  to  that  refreshing 
ordinance.  May  you  indeed  be  partakers  by  faith  of  the 
realities  of  Christ,  and  be  one  body  with  Him  and  His 
people,  and  cleansed  from  all  sin  by  His  blood !     You  have 

each  peculiar    difficulties    to    struggle    against 

Thus,  my  darlings,  I  have  spent  a  pleasant  hour  in  Chris- 
tian converse  with  you  on  this  important  and  delightful 
occasion  which  is  coming.  Receive,  as  I  know  you  will, 
kindly  and  thankfully  these  overflowings  of  a  father's  full 
heart  for  your  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare.  Half  our 
little  band  is  already  with  the  Lord,  let  us  ever  be  so 
living  as  hoping  to  join  them  where  they  are.  They  are  one 
with  Christ  in  glory,  let  us  be  one  with  Him  and  them 
in  faith  and  hope  and  purity,  living  by  one  blessed  spirit. 
Many  and  sweet  are  our  comforts  here,  deep  and  blessed 
our  love  for  each  other,  and  what  will  our  joy  and  love  be 
when  our  circle  is  again  completed,  father  and  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters,  in  a  glorious  eternity." 

Our  friend  Mrs.  Martin  (formerly  Miss  Mott)  came  to 
Wyraeswold,  and  was  present  at  the  confirmation  of  her 
young  friends.    The  following  entries  occur  in  his  journal : — 

"July  28. — Eliza  Martin  is  come  to  be  present  at  our 

Q 


226  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

dear  girls'  confirmation  ;  slie  is  mucli  changed,  and  evidently, 
I  fear,  in  a  consumption,  but  so  cheerful  and  resigned. 

"  There  were  twenty-four  at  the  confirmation  and  our  two 
girls.  God  bless  them,  and  make  them  His  dear  children. 
I  felt  very  fluttering  and  not  well  all  day. 

"  Aug.\h — Memorable  day  on  which  my  two  dear  girls 
came  to  the  Lord's  table  with  us ;  thank  Him  for  all  His 
mercies  respecting  them. 

''  In  the  evening  preached  the  first  of  a  series  of  farewell 
sermons,  on  Original  Sin ;  much  fluttering  again  and  giddy  ; 
getting  somewhat  anxious  about  myself,  but  I  must  trust  in 
Him  who  has  my  life  in  His  hands.'' 

A  letter  written  on  August  16th  to  the  Eev.  E.  T. 
Vaughan,  refers  to  his  last  sermons  to  his  rural  flock : — 

"  I  began  last  night  a  course  of  farewell  sermons  here  ; 
first.  Original  Sin ;  the  next  I  propose  taking  the  Atonement, 
then  Justification  by  Faith,  and  Sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  &c. 

"  I  have  not  been  by  any  means  we'll  lately ;  I  believe  the 
cause  was  the  occurrence  of  three  anxieties,  my  father's 
matters,  my  own  plans,  and  my  book.  I  trust,  with  great 
care  in  diet,  I  am  mending.  Our  dear  girls  joined  us  at  the 
Lord's  table  yesterday." 

His  illness,  however,  continued,  and  he  could  not  preach 
without  difiiculty.  Some  account  of  his  last  sermon  was 
given  in  a  local  paper  to  the  following  efiect : — 

"  On  Sunday,  September  25,  the  Rev.  H.  Alford  preached 
in  the  morning  on  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  '  The  harvest  is 
the  end  of  the  world,'  and  alluded  to  his  separation  from  his 
flock,  which  was  about  to  take  place.  In  the  evening  Mr. 
Alford  took  for  his  text,  ^  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
be  with  you  all.  Amen.'  He  said  he  had  selected  this  pas- 
sage, being  the  last  verse  in  the  Bible,  and  this  being  the  last 
occasion  on  which  he  should  address  them  as  their  minister. 
He  pointed  out  what  the  nature  of  the  grace  here  alluded 
to  means,  its  application,  and  the  efiect  upon  the  life 
and  conduct  in  general.  He  wished  to  apply  the  subject 
more  particularly  to  his  own  flock,  although  he  observed 
many  strangers  present,  and  if  he   spoke  with  earnestness 


1853]  Farezvell  Sermon .  227 

and  plainness,  lie  hoped  he  should  be  borne  with.  He  would 
address  them  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men.  He  then  ad- 
dressed the  young,  and  invoked  the  grace  here  spoken  of  to 
accompany  them  throughout  their  pilgrimage  in  the  present 
evil  world ;  he  warned  those  of  mature  age,  and  in  forcible 
language  spoke  to  the  aged.  The  rich  and  the  poor  were 
the  next  divisions  of  his  subject,  believers  and  unbelievers, 
the  two  great  classes  of  mankind,  and  of  every  congregation. 
Churchmen  and  Dissenters  were  severally  addressed,  com- 
municants and  non-communicants;  absentees,  those  who 
never  enter  a  place  of  worship  except  on  some  public  occa- 
sion. The  duties  of  parents  and  children  were  next  pointed 
out,  then  those  of  masters  and  servants. 

"  He  lamented  the  many  divisions  which  existed  in  the 
parish,  and  hoped  that  after  he  had  been  removed  from  them 
a  better  state  of  things  would  exist.  Having  preached  for 
upwards  of  an  hour,  he  prayed  that  the  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  might  rest  on  them  all." 

It  will  be  inferred  from  an  expression  in  the  foregoing 
sermon,  and  indeed  from  other  passages  which  have  been 
conscientiously  preserved  in  this  Memoir,  that  there  were 
among  his  parishioners  at  Wymeswold  some  few  to  whom 
their  Vicar's  method  of  doing  what  he  believed  to  be  his 
duty  was  less  acceptable  than  to  the  rest.  But  whatever 
alienation  existed  at  any  time  of  his  residence  there, 
was  extremely  limited  both  in  its  extent  and  duration. 
Numerous  testimonies  of  the  affection  of  his  people  gene- 
rally were  received  both  at  the  time  of  his  quitting  the  parish 
and  on  subsequent  occasions.  And  I  may  mention  here  the 
last  spontaneous  manifestation  of  the  general  feeling.  Soon 
after  the  news  of  his  death  reached  Wymeswold,  the  parish- 
ioners placed  a  painted  east  window  in ,  the  south  aisle  of 
their  church  as  a  memorial  of  the  pastor  for  whom  their  love 
was  not  extinguished  by  a  separation  of  eighteen  years.  The 
foregoing  account  of  that  portion  of  his  life  which  was  spent 
at  Wymeswold,  may  be  appropriately  ended  by  the  two  fol- 
lowing letters  which  I  have  recently  received,  the  first  from 
his  former  pupil,  the  Eev.  W.  H.  Gurney,  now  Eector  of  North 
Q  2 


228  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VI. 

Runcton ;    the  second  from  Archdeacon  Fearon,   who  was 
his  neighbour  at  Loughborough. 

"  'Eortli  Bundon  Rectory,  Sept.  6,  1871. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Alford,, — I  could  have  much  to  say 
about  your  husband^  if  only  I  had  the  power  of  saying  it  in 
a  way  that  would  be  worthy  of  him^  or  of  what  he  was  to  me 
as  a  most  wise  and  tender  friend  and  guide  in  the  best  things, 
and  at  a  most  important  time  of  my  life.  But,  independently 
of  my  own  feelings  for  and  about  him,  I  am  sure,  in  looking 
back,  that  the  time  I  was  at  Wymeswold  was  a  very  im- 
portant one  in  his  own  mental  and  spiritual  history  from 
1843  to  1845.  The  restoration  of  the  church,  which  he 
undertook  and  carried  through  as  hardly  any  one  else  in 
England  at  that  time  did,  or  could  have  done,  was  of  great 
interest  not  only  in  itself,  and  in  the  complete  and  perfect 
way  in  which  it  was  done,  but  as  indicating  the  then  con- 
dition of  his  own  mind  and  feelings,  perhaps,  rather  than 
teaching  in  religious  matters ;  and  certainly  the  power  and 
effect  of  his  preaching  never  was  greater  (though  afterwards 
it  was  much  more^widely  spread)  than  during  those  years 
that  I  was  with  you  at  Wymeswold.  Those  extemporary 
sermons  of  his  (three  every  Sunday,  I  think,  there  used  to 
be)  were  wonderful,  and  the  impression  they  made  can  surely 
never  be  lost  by  those  who  heard  them. 

"  Among  my  many  pleasant  recollections  of  that  time  is 
that  of  the  expeditions  which  some  of  us  often  took  with 
him  on  Saturdays,  seeing  and  examining  the  churches  in  the 
neighbourhood.  I  learnt  a  great  deal  from  him,  which  has 
"been  a  great  pleasure  since,  in  the  way  of  knowledge  of 
architecture  and  antiquities;  and  besides  this,  the  expe- 
ditions themselves  were  such  fun — and  I  always  thought  he 
enjoyed  them  as  much  as  we  did — and  the  small  adventures 
which  used  to  arise  in  the  course  of  them.  How  well  I  re- 
member, in  particular,  going  with  him  and  John  Morris  one 
Easter  holiday  (when  I  had  not  gone  home  as  usual,  for 
some  reason),  a  tour  of  thi-ee  or  four  days  to  see  the  Lincoln- 
shire churches,  and  spending  one  whole  day  at  Lincoln,  and 


1853]         -^^^-  ^^^-  H.  Gu7'ney  s  Recollections.  229 

almost  tlie  wliole  of  it  ia  tliat  glorious  cathedral !  How  we 
all  did  enjoy  it,-  and  how  full  of  energy  and  brightness  he 
was  all  through  the  time  !  Those  were  bright  days  indeed, 
and  have  left  their  brightness,  and  something  better  than 
mere  brightness  behind  them. 

"  No  doubt  that  trying  episode  of ^s  going  over  to 

Eome  will  be  very  carefully  treated  in  any  account  there  may 
be  of  your  dear  husband^s  Hfe.  I  am  quite  sure  there  never 
was  any  thing  in  his  teaching  then,  or  at  any  other  time, 
which  tended  in  the  slightest  degree  to  Romanism.  The 
utmost  that  could  be  said  in  that  direction  is,  that  his  taste 
and  genius  were  often  offended  by  the  carelessness  and  want 
of  reverence  in  the  Low  Church  school  at  that  time,  and 
that  his  sympathies  were  in  a  great  measure  repelled  from 
that  school.  But  I  am  sure  that  his  warm  finendship,  e.  g. 
with  Mr,  Phillipps,  of  Hathern,  was  quite  enough  to  show  the 
real  agreement  that  he  had  with  the  Evangelicals  in  all  sound 
and  Scriptural  doctrine. 

"  I  can  only  add,  my  dear  Mrs.  Alford,  that  as  I  grew 
older  I  more  and  more  valued  my  intercourse  with  him,  and 
more  and  more  felt  the  great  privilege  of  having  for  my  most 
intimate  friend  one  whose  powers  were  so  great  and  varied, 
and  all  used  first  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  building 
up  of  Christ's  Church  in  the  knowledge  of  His  Word, 
and  then  for  the  great  help  and  comfort  of  all  who  came 
to  him  for  advice  or  help.  Certainly  the  variety  of  his 
powers  was  very  remarkable.  In  small  things  as  well  as 
great  this  was  shown :  every  thing  he  did  was  done  well, 
and  done  in  a  way  that  showed  the  man  of  genius  as  well  as 
of  ability. 

"  You  have  seen  or  heard,  I  dare  say,  of  the  death'  of  my 
cousin,  Charles  Buxton,  one  of  the  old  Wymeswold  pupils, 
and  one  who  truly  valued  the  dear  Dean  in  every  way.  Poor 
Charles's  death  is  a  great  loss  both  to  his  own  family  and  to 
many  others  besides. 

"  Most  truly  yours, 
"W.H.  Gurnet." 

2  See  page  133. 


230  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VI. 

"  Loughborough  Rectory,  Sept.  7,  1871. 

''  My  dear  Mrs.  Alpord, — It  seems  a  long  time  ago  since 
you  and  your  dear  husband  left  Wymeswold,  to  embark  on  a 
London  life^  and  encounter  the  labour  and  anxiety  of  the 
Quebec  Chapel  ministry.  I  wish  that  I  could  respond  with 
greater  fulness  to  your  request  that  I  would  recall  some  of 
the  incidents  of  his  early  career  when  we  were  neighbours  ; 
but  the  lives  of  both  of  us  were  then  so  much  occupied  with 
our  parishes,  and  his  with  the  addition  of  his  Greek  Testa- 
ment labours,  that  we  had  little  leisure  for  that  occasional 
intercourse  which  was  always  to  me  most  agreeable  as  well 
as  instructive. 

"  When  I  first  knew  him  he  had  just  finished  the  restora- 
tion of  his  church,  and  was  encountering  the  obloquy  of 
having  very  High  Church  tendencies,  under  which  reproach 
in  those  days  every  clergyman  was  likely  to  suffer  who  ven- 
tured to  make  up  for  a  century  of  neglect  which  our  prede- 
cessors had  permitted  of  their  sacred  buildings.  Wymeswold 
was  one  of  the  first  churches  in  this  part  of  the  country  which 
were  brought  under  the  hand  of  those  skilful  ecclesiastical 
architects  who,  until  about  thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  were 
almost  unknown  in  England.  It  must  be  that  length  of  time 
ago  that  the  restoration  of  Wymeswold  church  was  taken  in 
hand.  I  was  in  the  church  a  few  days  ago,  and  could  not 
but  think  of  the  discouragements  and  difficulties,  both  moral 
and  pecuniary,  which  had  to  be  surmounted  before  such  a 
work  (which,  by-the-bye,  has  stood  admirably)  could  have 
been  completed.  I  never  knew  what  portions  of  the  expense 
were  defrayed  by  local  subscriptions,  but  it  was  always 
understood  that  it  took  Alford  many  years  to  recover  from 
the  sacrifices  which  his  zeal  and  public  spirit  had  impelled 
him  to  make.  To  him  was  left  the  satisfaction  of  having  set 
in  his  own  neighboui-hood  an  example  which  has  since  been 
so  extensively  followed  every  where,  that  an  unrestored  church 
is  now  rather  the  exception  than  the  rule.  All  honour  to 
those  who  were  the  pioneers  ! 

"  The  advantage  of  your  husband^s  proximity  to  my  parish 
I  frequently  found  in  his  ready  willingness  to  ^  come  over 


1853]  Archdeacon  Fearons  Recollections.  231 

and  help  us  ^  wlieu  we  wanted  an  address  to  a  working  man's 
institute,  or  a  lecture  to  a  literary  society,  or  a  penny  read- 
ing, on  any  subject  which  his  varied  accomplishments  em- 
braced. His  readiness  of  speech  and  good  humour  made  him 
a  most  valuable  coadjutor  on  all  such  occasions  ;  and  he  used 
to  say, '  If  I  can  once  get  a  laugh  out  of  them  I  shall  do/  This 
he  did  effectually  even  in  dry  subjects  such  as  acoustics, 
when  I  remember,  after  maintaining  that  every  substance  in 
nature  was  capable  of  emitting  a  musical  sound,  he  added, 
with  gravity,  '  To  be  sure,  you  can't  get  much  of  a  note  out 
of  a  blanket/  One  day,  at  a  meeting  on  some  educational 
matter,  after  we  had  all  been  lamenting  in  our  solemn 
speeches  the  difficulty  not  only  of  teaching  our  school  chil- 
dren, but  of  bringing  them  into  any  habit  of  subordination 
whatever,  and  keeping  them  from  the  most  mischievous 
tricks,  he  refreshed  our  party  by  naively  assuring  us  of  the 
consolation  which  he  had  always  felt  in  the  old  school- 
master's apophthegm,  'After  all,  sir,  boys  is  boys/ 

"  I  need  not  tell  you  of  the  effect  of  his  preaching.  There 
is  a  common  opinion,  in  which  I  do  not  agree,  that  a  good 
plain  sermon  is  equally  acceptable  to  poor  and  rich,  learned 
and  unlearned.  Those  who  so  imagine  have,  perhaps,  little 
idea  of  what  is  most  grateful  to  the  poor  man's  ear.  He 
delights  in  platitudes  at  which  those  who  sit  before  him  in 
soft  raiment  can  scarcely  repress  a  smile.  Repetitions  are 
dear  to  him,  without  which  an  idea  does  not  make  its  way 
to  his  mind.  Now,  to  a  cultivated  person  nothing  is  more 
wearisome  than  to  hear  the  same  thought  put  over  and  over 
again  into  slightly  different  words;  especially  if  those  words 
be  accompanied  by  a  string  of  Scripture  texts,  to  the  appli- 
cability of  which  he  has  a  most  indulgent  indifference. 

^'  But  if  any  man  could  make  his  sermons  attractive  and 
edifying  to  persons  of  very  different  acquirements,  the  late 
Dean  had  that  power.  At  the  same  time,  I  think  his  sermons 
were  more  suited  for  the  atmosphere  of  Quebec  Chapel  and 
Canterbury  Cathedral  than  of  Wymeswold  Church.  How, 
indeed,  could  it  be  otherwise  with  a  mind  overflowing  with 
theological  learning,    of  which  some  congregations  would 


232  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  VI, 

perceive  the  proofs  continually  cropping  out,  and  would 
thorouglily  appreciate,  while  they  would  be  entirely  lost  upon 
less  educated  people  ?  One  quality  his  sermons  always  pos- 
sessed, suited  alike  to  all  hearers — the  most  impressive 
seriousness.  His  deep  voice,  his  reverential  manner,  gave 
a  solemnity  to  all  he  said,  which  could  not  but  impress 
itself  upon  the  congregation.  You  were  not  likely  to  in- 
dulge in  any  levity  of  thought  when  Alford  was  preaching ; 
so  thoroughly  did  he  make  you  feel  that  the  preacher  was 
deeply  conscious,  and  that  his  hearers  ought  to  be,  of  the 
importance  of  the  subject  in  which  they  were  engaged,  and 
the  magnitude  of  the  interests  which  it  involved. 

"  Nothing,  in  fact,  could  be  more  striking  than  the  contrast 
between  the  immovable  seriousness  of  his  demeanour  when 
engaged  in  sacred  duties,  and  his  liveliness  and  elasticity 
when  these  duties  were  discharged.  When  our  church  at 
Loughborough  was  reopened  he  was  one  of  the  preachers, 
and  immediately  after  the  service  was  concluded  some  of  my 
principal  parishioners  came  to  my  house  and  asked  me  if  I 
thought  he  would  allow  his  sermon  (which  was  an  admirable 
one)  to  be  printed.  It  had  been  extempore,  and  I  knew  he 
would  not  be  able  to  recall  it.  But  I  desired  them  to 
speak  to  him  about  it.  It  was  a  weekday,  and  (must  I 
confess  the  truth  ?)  they  found  the  distinguished  preacher  on 
the  lawn  in  the  midst  of  a  large  party  of  ladies,  as  earnestly 
engaged  in  a  croquet  game  as  if  interests  depended  upon  it 
as  great  as  those  which  he  had  just  so  successfully  advocated. 
Whatever  he  did  he  did  with  a  will,  and  this,  I  think,  was 
the  great  secret  of  his  literary  and  ecclesiastical  life. 

"  If  it  be  said  of  him,  as  it  has  been,  that  in  the  course  of 
his  lifetime  he  passed  through  every  phase  of  doctrine,  or,  at 
least,  ecclesiastical  opinion,  it  may  be  replied,  so  did  the 
world.  Until  the  last  half-century  all  the  earnest-minded  of 
religious  men  held  the  opinions  commonly  known  as  Evan- 
gelical. In  these,  inherited  from  his  father,  he  was  no 
doubt  brought  up ;  nor  did  he  ever,  as  I  conceive,  forsake 
the  salient  opinions  held  by  that  school.  But  he  added  to 
them  other  most  important  elements  of  Christian  faith  and 


1853]  Archdeacon  Fear  on  s  Recollections.  233 

worship,  whicli  the  Low  Church  system  had  altogether 
ignored.  But  what  was  of  more  consequence,  he  hesitated 
not  in  later  life  to  hold  out  the  hand  of  Christian  fellowship 
to  the  great  bodies  of  Nonconformists,  with  whom  it  is  for 
every  reason  desirable  that  we  should  endeavour  to  act  for 
those  numerous  objects  which  we  hold  in  common.  Thus 
did  the  Dean  manifest  not  only  the  tolerant  spirit  which 
becomes  a  Christian  minister,  but  the  far-sightedness  which 
recognizes  comprehensiveness  as  a  first  necessity  of  a 
National  Church.  Let  not,  then,  that  be  considered  incon- 
sistent which  was  rather  the  natural  development  of  thought 
both  in  theological  and  ecclesiastical  subjects,  and  to  which, 
indeed,  he  himself  largely  contributed. 

"  It  is  needless  for  me  to  say  to  you,  my  dear  Mrs.  Alford, 
with  what  affectionate  esteem  I  shall  ever  regard  your  hus- 
band's memory.  Your  daughters,  who  have  now  made  you 
a  grandmother,  were  little  girls  when  I  first  knew  you  all, 
and  your  house  was  a  pattern  of  domestic  happiness  and 
duty,  an  example  to  your  pretty  village  of  what  a  clergy- 
man's household  ought  to  be. 

"  The  pleasure  which  your  subsequent  visits  have  given 
sufficiently  show  in  what  esteem  you  are  still  held ;  and 
indeed  I  think  some  of  his  parishioners  did  not  sufficiently 
appreciate  your  husband  until  they  felt  the  loss  they  had 
sustained  by  his  removal  from  them.  He  is  now  removed 
from  us  all,  but  let  us  indulge  the  hope  and  the  belief  that 
it  is  not  for  ever,  and  with  that  prayer  for  you,  I  will  conclude. 

"  Believe  me,  always  your  afiectionate  friend, 

"  Henry  Fearon." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

1853—1857. 

London  Work — Crimean  War — Tour  to  the  Pyrenees — 
Controversy  on  the  Sabbath  Question— Tour  in  Scot- 
land— Revision  of  Part  of  the  Authorized  Version  of 
THE  New  Testament— Appointed  to  the  Deanery  of 
Canterbury. 

WE  left  Wymeswold  on  September  26,  1853.  Our  new 
home,  6,  Upper  Hamilton  Terrace,  St.  Jolin^s  Wood, 
was  a  semi-detaclied  house,  witli  a  garden  behind  of  sufficient 
size  to  afford  us  some  recreation  in  the  cultivation  of  our 
favourite  flowers.  The  quietness  of  its  situation  was  favour- 
able to  literary  work,  and  the  distance  from  Quebec  Chapel 
(less  than  two  miles)  was  not  too  great  for  a  walk.  Here  we 
remained  until  our  removal  in  June,  1857,  to  Canterbury. 

His  habit  at  this  time  was  to  rise  about  six  in  the  morn- 
ing, light  his  own  fi.re  in  the  study,  and  work  there  till  one 
o'clock.  I  believe  that  an  hour  before  breakfast  was  fre- 
quently assigned  to  the  composition  of  sermons,  and  the  rest 
of  the  morning  to  the  Greek  Testament ;  and  in  the  after- 
noon he  usually  walked  into  town,  visited  the  members  of 
his  congregation,  went  among  the  poor  inhabitants  of  his 
district,  though  the  care  of  them  chiefly  devolved  on  his 
curate,  and  occasionally  attended  committees,  &c.  If  no 
engagement  took  him  from  home  in  the  evening,  and  no 
unusual  pressure  of  work  compelled  him  to  spend  that  time 
in  his  study,  it  was  given  to  reading  aloud  to  us. 

Quebec  Chapel  is  so  called  from  the  street  in  which  it  is 
situated,  which  was  probably  built  about   1759,  when  the 


1853]  Letters  on  London  Work.  235 

heroic  death  of  General  Wolfe  was  a  recent  national  glory. 
It  was  a  proprietary  chapel,  and  its  special  distinction  for 
many  years  was  the  attractive  presence  of  a  band  of  eminent 
professional  singers.  The  lease  of  the  chapel  was  purchased 
by  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Gurney,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's,  Bryanston 
Square,  in  whose  large  parish  the  chapel  was  situated,  a 
man  of  remarkable  generosity,  truthfulness,  and  zeal.  At 
considerable  cost  to  himself  he  determined  to  place  a  portion 
of  his  parishioners  under  the  pastoral  care  of  a  minister  of 
their  own,  and  to  offer  to  the  fashionable  congregation  who 
found  it  convenient  to  attend  Quebec  Chapel,  something 
which  might  be  not  less  attractive  than  elaborate  music, 
and  more  effective  in  winning  souls,  and  elevating  the 
standard  of  religious  attainments  in  the  higher  rank  of  life. 

Mr.  Gurney  was  not  disappointed  in  the  result  of  his  ex- 
periment, as  may  be  shown  by  the  following  letter  which  he 
wrote  to  my  husband  soon  after  the  beginning  of  his  ministry 
at  Quebec  Chapel : — 

From  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Gurney. 

"  That  I  should  have  acquired  the  disposal  of  Quebec 
Chapel,  have  found  you,  brought  you  there,  is  a  chain  of  cir- 
cumstances in  which  we  cannot  help  recognizing  a  divine 
hand  and  purpose ;  and  I  look  to  your  coming  to  Quebec 
Chapel  as  one  of  the  happiest  events  in  my  ministerial  life. 
If  I  were  taken  away  speedily,  among  the  thanksgivings  of 
my  death-bed,  would  be  one  most  fervently  offered,  that  I 
had  been  enabled  to  place  a  younger  and  abler  man  where 
he  is  likely  to  do  so  much  good  among  my  neighbours  and 
parishioners.  Glad  I  am  of  an  opportunity  of  bringing  you 
and  such  a  post  together.  I  shall  be  deeply  thankful  that  a 
large  portion  of  my  flock,  whom  I  could  never  before  reach, 
have  had  the  benefit  of  your  ministrations  for  a  time.'' 

Two  letters  which  my  husband  wrote  to  his  intimate 
friend,  the  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan,  in  the  course  of  1854,  will 
show  how  from  his  own  point  of  view  he  regarded  his  work 
in  Quebec  Chapel :  — 


236  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

"Upper  Hamilton  Terrace,  March  12. 

''Very  welcome  was  the  sight  of  your  dear  old  hand- 
writing, among  a  basket  full  of  letters  last  night  on  my 
return  from  Plymouth^  where  I  have  been  spending  a  week 
lecturing,  to  the  great  amendment  of  my  health,  which  was 
getting  jaded  by  London  work.  Since  I  last  saAV  you  I  have 
had  a  winter  of  real  trial  among  the  poor  of  my  district. 

"  You  kindly  inquire  about  my  work,  or  works.  My 
pulpit  and  district  work  is  much  to  my  liking.  The  Chapel 
is  full,  and  the  people  seem  attached,  and  kind  and  liberal 
in  contributing  to  every  good  work.  My  morning  congre- 
gation is,  of  course,  the  congregation,  and  for  them  I  write 
my  sermons,  having  begun  with  the  year.  But  the  after- 
noon congregation  is  the  one  which  I  love  best,  being  my 
own  child.  It  has  increased  from  absolutely  nothing  to 
within  a  hundred  or  two  of  the  morning.  To  them  I  do  not 
preach  bat  expound  the  Gospels ;  in  fact  expand  my  Greek 
Testament  notes,  a  sort  of  thing  in  which,  as  you  may  ima- 
gine, I  delight  much.  My  district  work  is  very  interesting, 
and  when  our  schools  are  once  set  on  foot  will  be  much 
more  so.  My  situation,  you  must  know,  is  no  sinecure.  I 
find  it  difficult  to  get  time  for  my  Greek  Testament  work 
amongst  its  duties.  My  mornings  are  uninterrupted,  and  I 
can  then  count  on  three  or  four  clear  hours,  but  my  even- 
ings I  am  obliged  to  give  to  sermon  writing.  I  am  going 
on  Wednesday  week,  by  old  Mr.  Cunningham^s  request,  to 
preach  at  Harrow.  Fanny  and  I  dine  and  sleep  at  his 
Louse  the  night  before  ;  it  will  be  an  interesting  occasion,  as 
he  tells  me  the  boys  are  to  come  to  church." 

To  THE  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan. 

"  October  15,  1854. 

"  I  have  never  once  regretted  the  step  which  brought  me 
here ;  may  I  look  on  it  as  one  of  God's  most  signal  mercies  to 
me  ?  It  is  a  real  joy  to  feel  .that  I  am  able,  in  my  present  post, 
to  be  doing  the  Lord's  work  in  a  way  congenial  to  my  daily 
labours  and  studies.     If  you  could  look  in  on  my  afternoon 


1854]  Letters  on  London  Work.  237 

congregation  you  would  find  me  dealing  forth  to  them  some- 
thing of  which  Stier^s  'Reden  Jesu'  will  give  you  the  best  idea^ 
a  mixture  of  comment  and  sermon^  in  which  I  greatly  delight, 
and  which  I  do  hope  is  telling  for  good  on  some,  who  may 
do  good  to  others.  My  morning  sermons  are  collected  in  a 
little  volume,  which  I  forget  whether  I  sent  to  you  or  not. 
If  I  have  not  done  so,  tell  me,  and  I  will  immediately  for- 
ward one  to  you.  We  really  have  some  very  nice  people 
here,  people  amongst  whom  I  think  real  good  may  be  done 
by  quietly  pushing  on  the  real  thing,  the  root  and  ground  of 
the  matter,  keeping  clear  of  all  party  names  and  phrases. 
May  God  prosper  my  work  for  their  good  and  His 
glory. 

"  As  to  study  work,  I  am  now  vigorously  at  work  at  Vol. 
iii.,  just  in  the  Galatians.  I  have  an  Edinburgh  article  in 
brewing,  on  the  new  version  of  some  of  the  Epistles  which 
the  American  Bible  Union  have  put  forth.  I  mean  to  go 
into  the  subject  generally,  the  expediency  of  revision,  how 
to  be  done,  &c.  At  the  same  time  I  have  an  Exeter  Hall 
lecture  on  the  stocks,  *  On  the  Intelligent  Study  of  the  Scrip- 
tures,^ in  which,  among  other  matters  more  within  the  reach 
of  the  whole  audience,  I  wish  to  give  a  stimulus  to  the  Greek 
Testament  classes  just  now  beginning  in  the '  Christian  Young 
Men's  Society.' 

"  Once  so  many  notes  tripped  backwards  and  foinvards  be- 
tween us : — the  longer  I  live  the  more  I  feel  there  is  no  friend 
like  an  old  friend.  No  letter  now-a-days  ought  altogether 
to  omit  mention  of  the  solemn  events  which  are  passing 
around  us. 

"■  How  wonderfully  God  has  been  dealing  with  us  this  year ! 
Several  of  my  people  have  been  thrown  into  distress  and 
mourning '  by  the  recent  conflict." 

When  he  had  been  a  few  months  at  Quebec  Chapel,  Messrs. 
Rivington  undertook  to  publish  the  sermons  which  he 
preached  there.  The  first  volume  of  his  "Quebec  Sermons'' 
was   accordingly  published  in  the  autumn.      It  contained 


1  The  battle  of  the  Ahiia  was  fought  on  September  20th,  1854. 


238  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

twenty-five  sermons  preached  in  the  first  half  of  the  year. 
It  was  followed  in  due  course  by  six  other  volumes^. 

While  he  was  preparing  the  third  volume  of  his  Greek 
Testament,  which  was  published  in  1855,  he  was  encouraged 
by  a  demand  in  May,  1854,  for  a  second  edition  of  his  second 
volume. 

This  year  he  composed  a  Memoir  of  his  father,  the  Rev. 
H.  Alford,  a  volume  of  259  octavo  pages.  It  was  intended 
for,  and  at  first  was  limited  to  private  circulation  among  the 
numerous  members  and  friends  of  our  family.  This  year  was 
marked  by  the  death,  on  March  22,  of  my  father,  the  Rev. 
S.  Alford,  of  Heale  House.  We  were  present  with  twenty- 
two  other  members  of  his  family  at  the  funeral  at  Curry 
Rivell.  This  is  described  in  the  following  letter  from  my 
husband. 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Though  we  had  for  some  years  been  expecting  my  uncle's 
death,  it  came  veiy  unexpectedly  at  last ;  it  is  the  end  of  our 
young  lives,  the  taking  the  key-stone  out  of  the  family  arch, 
the  removal  of  the  last  apparent  barrier  between  ourselves  and 
the  unseen  world :  last  week  we  were  one  family,  now  we  are 
thirteen  families,  twenty-five  sons  and  daughters,  thirty- 
eight  grandchildren, — the  whole  family  about  seventy-eight, 
a  mourner  for  each  year  he  was  old." 

Though  this  event  had  the  efiect  of  secluding  us  from 
much  general  intercourse  with  the  increasing  circle  of  our 
acquaintance,  my  husband  decided  on  giving  us  the  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  most  remarkable  spectacle  of  the  season. 
On  the  10th  of  June  we  went  to  the  opening  of  the  Crystal 
Palace  at  Sydenham,  which  he  describes  as  "  A  magnificent 
sight,  such  as  neither  of  us  ever  saw  before,  nor  are  likely  to 
see  again.  The  Queen,  &c.,  &c.,  young  King  of  Portugal, 
and  all  the  grandees,  and  1600  performers.  Hallelujah  Chorus. 
This  world  will  never  see  such  another  sis-ht."     On  the  29th 


'  A  complete  list  of  his  works  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  publication 
will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  at  the  end  of  this  volume. 


1854]  Visit  to  West  of  England.  239 

of  the  same  month  he  records,  "went  with  Lady  Sitwell  to  the 
Hairow  Speeches;  Prince  Albert  and  the  Prince  of  Wales 
there,  and  all  sorts  of  grandees  ;  saw  many  old  friends." 

This  summer  our  usual  vacation  was  spent  in  the  West  of 
England.  A  few  notes  from  his  journal  record  its  pro- 
gress : — 

"Aug.  7.  Left  London  at  nine  by  the  express  to  Trow- 
bridge ;  by  fly  to  Winkfield,  where  we  explored  the  old  place  ; 
then  to  Farley  Castle,  by  Tellisford  to  Westbury. 

"  Aug.  8. — After  breakfast  to  Steeple  Ashton,  and  looked 
up  the  old  place,  my  father's  first  curacy  ;  then  over  the  hills, 
by  the  White  Horse,  to  Frome  and  Wells. 

"Aug.  9 — Showed  them  the  cathedral;  to  Glastonbury, 
and  returned  to  Wells ;  then  to  Wookey,  by  Cheddar  to 
Axbridge. 

"Aug.  10 — After  breakfast  to  Cheddar  Cliffs,  where  we 
spent  a  very  pleasant  morning,  and  then  saw  Banwell,  and  on 
by  rail  to  Yatton. 

"Aug.  11 — To  Brockley  Combe,  and  Wraxall.  The  latter 
very  much  altered  since  my  father  and  I  lived  there.  The 
house  pulled  down.  Got  to  Heale  in  the  evening,  perhaps 
our  last  visit  to  the  dear  old  place. 

"Aug.  12 — After  breakfast  corrected  proofs  in  the  summer- 
house;  heard  of  dear  Eliza  Martin's  death, — so  one  goes  after 
another ;  may  I  be  ready  when  my  time  comes  !  O  Lord, 
grant  it  for  Christ's  sake;  read  much  of  my  uncle's  journals, 
very  nice  Christian  spirit  and  reflections. 

"  Aug.  14. — Heard  from  my  curate  that  cholera  is  in  our 
district;  only  one  case  as  yet  near  Quebec  Chapel.  If  it 
spreads  I  shall  return.  0  Lord,  if  it  be  Thy  will,  preserve 
me  and  mine  safe,  and  be  merciful  to  my  poor  people. 

"Aug.  17. — The  whole  five  sisters  met,  and  their  belong- 
ings, &c.  Sixteen  at  dinner  :  afterwards  went  to  the  top  of 
the  monument,  and  in  the  evening  walked  to  Burton. 

"Aug.  21. — After  breakfast,  in  Tom's  trap,  with  Brad  to 
Hminster ;  saw  the  church,  &c.,  and  dined  at  Mr.  Allen's ; 
he  much  broken  in  health.  We  went  over  Heron  Hill,  and 
I  saw  my  name,  H.  A.,  1826,  on  one  of  the  trees.     We  went 


240  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

on  to  Charmouth  in  the  evening ;  next  day  strolled  on  the 
beach  and  picked  up  fossils. 

'^  Aug.  27. — Dr.  Wolff  preached  at  Curry;  strange  read- 
ing.    Sermon  rather  striking  on  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

"  Se^t.  1 . — Went  from  Taunton,  in  a  van,  to  a  picnic  to 
Castle  Neroche.  Lovely  day,  enjoyed  it  much.  All  planted 
now  with  wood.     Last  time  I  was  there,  1825,  not  a  tree. 

"  Sej>t.  6. — Correcting  proof-sheets  of  my  father's  Memoir. 
Called  at  Oaklands,  and  on  Mary  Young,  just  the  same  as  she 
was  twenty  years  ago. 

"  Slept.  7. — Off  to  Bristol,  bad  accounts  of  the  cholera,  but 
not  in  our  district.     Glorious  day,  all  but  cloudless  sunshine. 

"  As  I  was  passing  Brean  Down  ^,  on  the  rail,  I  saw  a  dark 
shadow  resting  on  the  bare  side  of  the  hill ;  seeking  its 
cause,  I  saw  a  little  cloud,  bright  as  light,  floating  in  the 
clear  blue  above.  Thus  is  it  with  our  sorrow,  it  is  dark  and 
cheerless  here  on  earth ;  but  look  above,  and  you  shall  see  it 
to  be  but  a  shadow  of  His  brightness,  whose  name  is  Love. 

"  Sept.  9. — Started  in  a  steamer  for  Chepstow,  thence  to 
Tintern  by  Wine  Cliff,  returned  in  the  evening.  Letter  from 
Mr.  G.  C.  Lewis,  accepting  my  article  for  the  'Edinburgh' 
for  April  next.  From  Bristol,  15th,  we  all  four  went  for  a 
day  to  Blaise  Castle,  to  visit  Mr.*  and  Mrs.  Harford.  In  the 
morning  we  walked  about  the  grounds  and  had  some  music. 
In  the  evening  I  expounded  to  them  1  Cor.  xv. 

''  Sept.  23. — Returned  to  town. 

"  Sept.  25. — Saw  a  cholera  patient. 

"  Sej)t.  28. — Went  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. 

"  Sept.  30. — Mr.  Tarlton  engaged  me  to  lecture  at  Exeter 
Hall  on  '  The  Intelligent  Study  of  the  Scriptures.' 

"  Oct.  3. — Begun  Vol.  iii.  of  my  Greek  Testament.  May 
God  prosper  it,  and  spare  me  to  finish  it,  if  it  be  His  will. 

The    death    of  our  dear  friend,  Eliza  Martin,    which  is 


3  This  incident  is  mentioned  in  a  sermon  preaoted  in  Quebec  Chapel  a  few 
weeks  afterwards.     Vol.  ii.  page  144,  "  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons." 

'  J.  S.  Harford,  author  of  "  The  Life  of  Michael  Angelo,"  in  two  volumes. 


1854]  Crimean  War,  241 

recorded  above,  took  place  at  Dawlish.  Previous  to  her 
marriage  in  1852  she  had  shown  signs  of  consumption.  The 
beginning  of  the  disease  was  traced  to  exposure  to  inclement 
weather  and  fatiguing  work,  during  a  visitation  of  cholera 
in  1851,  when  she  was  at  Liverpool,  where  she  voluutarily 
undertook  and  discharged,  with  perhaps  too  great  zeal,  the 
duties  of  a  district  visitor  in  connexion  with  the  church  of 
St.  Martin.  Notwithstanding  all  that  medical  skill,  and  the 
incessant  attention  of  her  husband  could  do  for  her,  she  sank 
gradually  under  the  disease.  We  were  about  to  return  from 
our  tour  to  visit  her  on  her  death-bed,  when  we  received  a 
message  informing  us  that  we  could  not  arrive  in  time.  We 
felt  our  parting  from  her  as  fi'om  a  friend,  whose  ardent 
devotion,  unselfishness,  pure  and  lofty  motives,  never  failed 
to  encourage  and  cheer  all  who  were  included  in  her  circle 
of  acquaintance. 

The  vicissitudes  of  the  Crimean  War  were  watched  by  all 
classes  with  the  deepest  interest.  My  husband's  journal 
records,  that  "  on  April  26,  -fast  day  for  the  war,  we  collected 
23 IZ.  at  the  three  services  at  Quebec  Chapel.'^  On  October  1, 
the  day  the  news  of  the  battle  of  the  Alma  arrived,  he 
preached  a  thanksgiving  sermon  for  the  harvest,  and  in  a 
note  referred  to  this  event  *.  The  short  poem  entitled  "  A 
Crimean  Thought''  (''Poems,"  p.  153),  was  written  about 
this  time. 

Three  weeks  later,  October  22,  he  records : — 
"  Preached  at  Quebec  Chapel  from  '  Thy  will  be  done  in 
earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven.'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bracebridge  at 
church,  and  Mr.  Nightingale ;  they  spoke  to  me  about  making 
some  prayers  for  the  nurses  who  go  out  to  attend  the  wounded 
in  the  Crimea.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bracebridge  and  Miss  Night- 
ingale go  out  to-morrow.  I  sent  the  prayers  to  Mrs.  Brace- 
bridge. 0  may  God  bless  my  unworthy  work  !  "  And  two 
days  afterwards  he  attended  a  meeting  to  raise  a  fund  for 
supporting  Chaplains  at  the  seat  of  war. 


'  Quebec  Cliapcl  Sermons,"  vol.  ii.  page  110. 

R 


242  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  VII. 

A  sermon  whicli  lie  preached,  November  19,  on  "Render, 
therefore,  tmto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's,  and 
unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's  ''  (Matt.  xxii.  21  ®), 
made  such  an  impression  on  his  hearers,  that  he  was 
requested  to  print  it  for  circulation  among  the  troops  in  the 
Crimea. 

The  following  letter  relates  to  a  subject  which  often 
eng-aged  his  thoughts — the  imperfect  acquaintance  of  the 
educated  classes  with  the  text  of  the  New  Testament.  He 
made  many  efforts  to  procure  a  general  acknowledgment  of 
this  defect,  and  to  remove  it.  The  plan  was  never  fully  car- 
ried out  which  was  broached  in  this  letter.  The  gentleman 
to  whom  it  was  addressed  was  a  graduate  of  St.  John's  Col- 
lege, Cambridge,  who  had  long  been  engaged  in  educational 
work  at  Bristol. 

To  John  Price,  Esq. 

"  June  12,  1854. 
"  I  have  been  thinking  over  a  subject  on  which  we  had 
some  conversation,  the  possibility  of  doing  something  for 
the  study  of  the  New  Testament  in  Greek  here  in  London ; 
the  object  seems  to  me  more  and  more  important,  and  I  do 
think  some  movement  in  the  direction  might  be  made.  A 
scheme  has  struck  me  on  which  I  should  much  like  to  hear 
what  you  say ;  I  have  not  yet  broached  it  to  any  one  else. 
It  has  struck  me  that  an  institution,  or  association,  or 
society,  might  be  formed  for  the  promotion  of  the  study  of 
the  New  Testament  in  the  original  Greek.  The  work  of 
such  an  institution  would  be  to  open  classes  and  give 
lectures  on  the  Greek  Testament  to  persons  of  various  pro- 
ficiency, in  the  first  place.  If  it  could  be  established  and 
prosper,  I  think  it  might  aim  higher  and  assume  more  of 
the  character  of  a  learned  society,  making  research  and 
giving  papers  to  be  read  at  its  meetings.  But  this  latter  is 
a  mere  offshoot  from  my  present  scheme.     I  wish  you  would 


"Quebec  Chapel  Sermons,"  vol.  ii.  pp.  19t,  2G3. 


1854]    Intelligent  Study  of  the  Nezv  Testament.      243 

kindly  give  me  your  impression  of  such  a  project.  Of  its 
usefulness  I  have  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  and  its  prac- 
ticability might  soon  be  ascertained.  If  I  move  in  it,  my  next 
step  would  be  to  distribute  privately  a  few  circulars  among 
persons  who  may  be  supposed  interested  in  the  object,  to 
ascertain  their  opinions  and  get  their  advice.  After  that,  a 
private  meeting  might  be  held,  and  a  more  extensive  canvass 
organized ;  and  when  we  had  provided  a  sufficient  array  of 
names,  we  might  in  some  shape  come  before  the  pubhc.  I 
am  not  given  to  castle-building,  but  it  does  seem  to  me  that 
great  good  might  be  done  in  this  way  by  diffusing  the 
knowledge  of  the  Greek  Testament." 

He  endeavoured,  not  without  some  ultimate  success,  to 
suggest  a  step  towards  carrying  out  his  views  in  a  lecture 
which  he  thus  records  in  his  journal.  It  will  be  seen  further 
on  in  the  Memoir  that  classes  of  this  character  were  esta- 
blished in  connexion  with  Quebec  Chapel,  and  in  connexion 
with  the  Young  Men's  Association,  although  no  distinct 
institution  was  ever  founded  : — 

"Dec.  19. — We  all  went  to  Exeter  Hall.  My  lecture  on 
'  The  Intelligent  Study  of  the  Scriptures '  went  off  well ; 
voice,  thank  God,  held  out  fairly.  I  only  hope  it  may  issue 
in  an  effort  for  knowing  God's  Word  better." 

At  the  end  of  the  year  he  made  this  entry  in  his  journal :  — 

"Dec.  1854. — This  year  has  been  an  eventful  one  to  my- 
self, as  well  as  in  a  public  point  of  view.  In  it,  it  has  pleased 
God  to  bring  me  into  a  prominent  post  of  duty  and  useful- 
ness which  is  full  of  promise  for  good.  My  great  work  has 
been,  it  is  true,  somewhat  delayed  by  this,  but  a  greater  work 
is,  I  would  fain  hope,  being  carried  on  amongst  my  people 
and  by  lectures.  I  am  employed  in  putting  forward  the 
study  and  knowledge  of  God's  word  amongst  various  classes 
of  persons.  I  would  go  about  this  work  cautiously,  not  in 
the  eager  spirit  of  a  partisan,  but  as  working  surely  for  God. 
I  believe  I  am  soon  to  have  a  Greek  class  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  I  think  there  will  be  no 
great  difficulty  in  getting  one  among  my  own  people. 

"  My  second  volume  of  '  Sermons '  is  in  the  press,  the  first 
E  2 


244  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

having  sold  well.  May  I  make  them  an  instrument  for  good. 
During  the  next  year  I  must  give  attention  to  reading  if  I 
would   keep  up    the    efficacy  of  my  preaching.      Aofa  tw 

The  beginning  of  1855  was  a  season  of  unusual  severity. 
Great  distress  among  the  poor  included  in  the  Quebec  dis- 
trict, occasioned  proportionate  efforts  by  their  clergyman 
and  his  congregation  to  alleviate  their  sufferings.  About 
the  same  time  my  husband  found  himself  involved  in  addi- 
tional secular  business  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  my 
mother,  who  soon  followed  to  the  grave  her  husband,  the 
Rev.  S.  Alford,  of  Heale  House.  In  my  husband's  early 
days  she  had  been  as  a  mother  to  him  during  his  long  and 
frequent  visits  to  Heale  House,  and  she  was  beloved  by  him 
for  that  reason,  as  well  as  for  the  remarkable  unselfishness 
and  amiability  of  her  character. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  this  year  it  became  known  to  him 
that  some  of  his  friends  had  spontaneously  applied  in  his 
behalf  for  the  Rectory  of  All  Souls',  Marylebone,  which  was 
vacant,  and  in  the  gift  of  the  Crown.  Shortly  afterwards 
he  received  from  the  Lord  Chancellor  Cranworth  the  offer  of 
the  lucrative  living  of  Tydd  St.  Mary's,  Lincoln,  which,  if  he 
had  accepted  it,  would  have  removed  him  from  that  access  to 
books  and  intercourse  with  scholars  which  were  essential  to 
his  Biblical  studies.  He  briefly  describes  in  his  journal  his 
visit  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  on  this  occasion : — "  Wlien  I 
asked  to  see  his  lordship,  the  servant  said  his  master  was 
engaged.  I  then  said,  '  I  am  not  come  to  ask  for  any  thing, 
but  to  refuse  something  offered.'  ^  0,  sir,  then  I  am  sure  he 
will  see  you,'  was  the  reply." 

The  Lord  Chancellor  was  an  occasional  attendant  at  the 
services  in  Quebec  Chapel.  But  my  husband  had  no  acquaint- 
ance with  him  until  they  met  half  a  year  afterwards  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  Lord  Cranworth's  brother-in-law.  Sir 
Culling  Bardley,  at  Belvedere,  near  Erith. 

These  incidents  in  some  degree  caused  us  to  feel  un- 
settled in  our  home  :  and  he  wrote  thus  to  his  friend,  the  Rev. 
E.  T.  Vaughan,  with  reference  to  the  Rectory  of  All  Souls' : — 


^^55]  Prospect  of  a  Change.  245 

"May  2,  1855. — I  have  been  a  long  time  answering 
your  kind  letter  because  I  wanted  to  tell  you  about  a  matter 
whicli  has  kept  me  in  some  uncertainty  now  for  nearly  six 
weeks ;  to-day  I  have  heard  of  its  decision^  and  in  a  way  of 
which  I  am  very  glad.  The  matter  is  this :  Mr,  Baring  is 
resigning  the  Rectory  of  All  Souls^,  and  I  was  pointed  out 
by  various  persons  as  his  successor.  For  some  time  I  doubted 
very  much  about  accepting  it,  but  at  length  I  determined  on 
many  grounds  if  offered  to  go  there.  I  need  not  detail  all 
my  reasons  to  you,  but  you  will  readily  imagine  some  of 
them.  Quebec  Chapel  is,  I  feel,  more  and  more  a  dangerous 
position  for  one^s  own  inner  life,  the  sort  of  soldier-of-fortune 
character  of  it  would  corrupt  an  angel  with  pride  j  and  it 
sadly  wants  the  ballast  of  a  parish  to  keep  down  its  holder. 
But  I  have  heard  they  cease  to  think  of  me,  on  account  of  my 
Greek  Testament  and  because  of  my  work  at  Quebec  Chapel, 
so  I  have  the  prospect  now  of  going  on  in  peace  with  my 
Vol.  iii.,  for  the  sake  of  which  I  should  have  regretted  the 
change.  And  I  have  the  far  greater  satisfaction  of  feeling 
that  He  who  fixes  the  bounds  of  om*  habitation,  has  thus 
allotted  me  my  place  in  which  to  work  for  Him.  May  I  be  able, 
if  it  be  His  will,  to  finish  my  work  before  the  night  comes." 

My  husband's  attention,  however,  was  not  diverted  from 
his  ordinary  work,  and  he  continued  to  take  a  special  interest 
in  the  efforts  which  were  made  by  Lord  Shaftesbury  and 
others  for  sending  out  well  qualified  nurses  to  the  seat  of 
war  in  the  Crimea. 

Early  in  this  year  he  received  from  the  Rev.  C.  J.  EUicott 
(now  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol),  a  copy  of  his  Com- 
mentary on  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians.  This  present, 
warmly  acknowledged  by  my  husband  at  the  time  as  from  a 
fellow-labourer  in  the  elucidation  of  the  sacred  text,  led  first 
to  an  interview,  and  then  to  a  friendship  which  lasted  un- 
broken for  sixteen  years. 

The  work  and  anxieties  of  the  summer^  began  to  tell  on 


'  Just  before  leaving  London,  his  journal  says,  "Went  to  Maidenhead  with 
Mr.  Gurney's  schools,  our  Quebec  children  being  included,  960  j  beautiful  day ; 
all  returned  in  safety." 


246  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  VII. 

my  husband's  health,  and  he  formed  the  project  of  a  family 
tour  to  the  Pyrenees.  He  amused  himself  with  preparing 
for  it  by  reading  and  making  extracts  of  various  authors, 
from  the  time  of  Strabo  downwards,  who  refer  to  the  places 
which  he  intended  to  visit.  We  left  London  at  the  end  of 
July,  a  party  of  five  (for  my  husband's  young  brother,  Mr. 
B.  H.  Alford,  just  matriculated  at  Cambridge,  went  with 
us),  and  though  the  tour  was  marked  by  two  adverse  events, 
loss  of  health  to  one  of  the  party,  and  a  robbery,  it  was 
always  remembered  as  one  of  the  happiest  of  our  vacations. 
My  husband  wrote  a  careful  journal  of  considerable  length, 
some  extracts  from  which  may  be  of  interest : — 

"  We  took  with  us  to  read  on  the  spot  '  The  Subaltern,' 
that  most  interesting  little  book  written  some  thirty  years 
ago  by  the  Chaplain- General  of  the  Forces  [Rev.  G.  R.  Gleig], 
who,  when  a  young  man,  was  in  the  campaign  in  the 
Pyrenees  1813—1814. 

''  Got  to  Paris  exactly  twelve  hours  from  London.  After 
coflfee  sallied  out  to  Place  de  la  Concorde ;  beautiful  as  ever, 
nay  more  so,  under  the  brightest  rays  of  a  clear  moon ;  from 
the  Pont  de  la  Concorde,  a  lovely  scene  up  the  river,  the 
moon  on  the  water,  the  dark  mass  of  the  Tuileries  on  the 
left,  and  the  dome  of  the  Institute  on  the  right,  while  in  the 
distance  the  towers  of  Notre  Dame  rose  faintly  bright  against 
the  sky,  a  view  never  to  be  forgotten.  Louis  Napoleon  has 
much  improved  and  beautified  Paris,  and  it  is  nowhere  more 
visible  than  here,  where  vast  masses  of  new  buildings  are 

rising,  all  in  an  imposing  and  grand  style On  our 

way  to  Orleans  we  saw  the  castle  of  Malliery  on  a  peaked 
hill  to  the  right. 

"  We  ascended  the  cathedral  at  Orleans.  The  view  ex- 
tensive over  the  flat  valley  of  the  Loire;  saw  in  the  distance 
Notre  Dame  de  Clery,  where  Louis  XI.  carried  on  his  super- 
stitions and  was  buz'ied.  To  Blois  through  vineyards,  with 
occasional  glimpses  of  the  Loire. 

"  From  Blois  we  went  to  the  Chateau  of  Chambord,  dull 
drive  through  many  avenues  of  poplars  and  over  sandy 
plains ;  at  last  the  towers  of  the  old  chateau  came  into  view 


1^55]  Tours.     Poitiers.     Bordeaux.  247 

at  the  end  of  a  dusty  road  over  a  heath.  The  chateau  is 
very  interesting,  as  being  in  the  style  of  the  old  palaces  of 
France— a  huge  central  tower  carrying  a  double  staircase, 
flanked  by  round  corner  towers  in  every  direction :  inside 
are  the  devices  of  several  kings,  Francis  I.  with  his  sala- 
mander, Henry  II.  with  the  crescent  of  Diana  de  Poitiers, 

&c The  old  castle  at  Blois,  since  I  last  saw  it  in 

1843  with  Merivale,  has  been  to  my  mind  altogether  spoilt, 
by  being  restored  to  its  old  state  of  splendour  by  Louis 

PhiUppe From    Tours    we    went    to     Plessis,    the 

scene  of  much  of  '  Quentin  Durward  : '  not  much  of  the  old 
castle  remaining ;  we  saw  the  prison  of  Cardinal  de  Balue 
in  the  garden.  To  Poitiers,  through  a  rich  but  uninterest- 
ing country.  The  place  is  finely  situated  on  a  high  hill, 
promenades  on  the  ramparts.  The  cathedral,  Notre  Dame 
de  Poitiers,  is  very  curious  indeed,  earliest  Byzantine,  full 
of  quaint  sculptures.  Left  Poitiers  at  half-past  five  for 
Angouleme ;  a  striking  approach,  situated  like  Poitiers  on  a 
hill,  surrounded  by  a  deep  valley  containing  the  Charente. 
At  Angouleme  is  the  curious  Romanesque  grotto  of  St. 
Agbard,  also  a  castle.  On  our  way  to  Bordeaux  we  saw 
sevei^l  old  chateaux,  and  the  famous  iron-wire  suspension 
bridge  here  thrown  over  the  Dordogne,  The  sight  of  Bor- 
deaux, lighted  up  along  its  immense  length  by  the  lights 
reflected  in  its  river,  very  striking.  Spent  Sunday,  August 
5th,  at  Bordeaux.  The  cathedral  is  a  fine  building,  built 
by  the  English  in  Edward  III.'s  time.  We  were  too  late  for 
the  high  mass,  but  saw  a  low  mass,  the  service  utterly  without 
meaning  to  the  poor  wretched  people;  enjoyed  our  'reason- 
able service'  in  our  own  room  very  much,  afterwards;  then 
to  the  Protestant  Church  service,  where  we  heard  some  very 
simple  catechizing  by  the  pastor,  the  greatest  possible  con- 
trast to  the  service  in  the  cathedral.  We  walked  out  in 
the  evening,  and  saw  all  manner  of  amusements  going  on 
in  the  Jardin  Publique :  this  solution  of  the  Sunday  ques- 
tion will  not  do  in  England,  but  solved  it  must  be  some 
day. 

'^  Next  day  we  took  a  carriage,  and  went  about  to  see  the 


248  Life  of  Dean  Alfoi'd.  [Chap.  VII. 

town;  cathedral  interesting.  We  mounted  the  Tour  de 
Pey  Berland  to  get  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  town.  In  the 
vaults  under  it  we  saw  many  human  bodies,  which,  from 
some  property  in  the  air  or  the  stone,  have  remained  in 
perfect  preservation.     Horrid  sight. 

"  Saw  the  large  wine-vaults  of  M.  Cuzol  et  Fils,  to  whom 
Mr.  Wace,  of  Baker  Street,  had  given  me  a  card.  After 
dinner  we  took  a  boat  and  rowed  down  to  Lormont,  on  the 
other  side.  Walked  up  a  hill,  and  from  a  garden,  belonging 
to  some  people  who  civilly  let  us  pass  through  their  house 
for  the  purpose,  got  a  glorious  view  of  the  Garonne  and 
confluence  of  the  Dordogne,  with  the  sunset  glow  on  the 
water.  We  did  not  reach  the  city  till  long  after  dark. 
Beautiful  approach  -,  lights  twinkling  in  the  river. 

"  Left  next  day  by  train  at  six.  Eide  very  extraordinary 
through  the  Landes  ;  wild,  uncultivated  heath,  with  large 
pools  of  water.  Saw  some  peasants  on  stilts  knitting.  The 
dreariest  place  I  ever  saw;  black  sand  ankle  deep,  and 
almost  a  natural  hori2;on  in  all  directions.  As  soon  as  we 
reached  Bayonne  we  got  into  an  omnibus  for  Biarritz,  up 
and  down  hills  of  straight  road,  but  interesting  country ; 
fine  trees  and  clustering  vines.  At  last  we  took  a  turn,  and 
came  down  on  the  blue  Bay  of  Biscay,  tumbling  in  foaming 
waves  on  a  wild,  fantastic  coast.  The  sands  were  full  of 
bathers  in  costumes  of  bright  colours. 

"  I  sketched  the  rocks  and  the  Emperor's  chateau,  and  we 
returned  to  Bayonne  in  time  for  the  tahle-dj'hdte,  and  in  the 
evening  walked  up  to  the  citadel,  and  saw  the  spot  of  the 
famous  passage  of  the  Adour  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and 
where  the  sortie  of  infamous  memory  by  the  French  took 
place  [on  April  14,  1814:  see  Alison's  'History  of  Europe,' 
vol.  xviii.  p.  280].  The  view  is  very  interesting.  South- 
east the  lower  spurs  of  the  Pyrenees  reach  down  towards  the 
sea ;  south  lies  the  town,  with  its  bridges  and  churches ; 
south-west  the  Adour,  rich  in  remembrances  to  an  English- 
man. 

■'We  started  next  morning  for  St.  Sebastian,  passing 
St.  Jean  de  Luz,  on  to  the  Bidassoa,  with  Fontarabia  on  the 


1855]  The  Pyrenees.  249 

Spanish  side,  and  Hendaye  on  the  French  side.  This  I 
sketched,  also  the  heights  of  St.  Marcial,  looking  up  the 
Bidassoa  from  Behobie,  and  that  curious  laud-locked  harbour 
at  Passages. 

"  St.  Sebastian  is  a  very  singular  place,  with  very  narrow 
streets  and  high  houses.  It  has  been  entirely  rebuilt  since 
1813  [see  Alison,  vol.  xvi.  chap.  77].  It  is  grandly  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  high  hill  on  which  the  citadel  is  built.  We 
went  with  our  landlord  to  see  the  grand  breach  where,  in 
1813,  the  city  was  first  entered  more  than  forty  years  ago, 
just  about  this  time  of  the  year,  and  where  so  many  of  our 
countrymen  fell.  We  saw  the  tombs  of  several  of  our  officers 
half  way  up  the  hill,  which  I  sketched  on  the  spot.  [See 
"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons,^'  vol.  iii.  page  292.] 

"  At  Pau  we  saw  the  castle  in  which  Henry  IV.  was  born, 
redecorated  by  Louis  Philippe.  After  Pau  we  went  to  Eaux 
Chaudes,  a  curious  little  group  of  houses,  presided  over  by 
the  manager  of  the  baths.  The  journey  was  very  interest- 
ing, gradually  more  and  more  hilly,  with  vineyards  and 
flowers. 

^' After  Sevigac  we  got  a  grand  view  of  the  Val  d^Ossau. 
The  gorge  leading  to  Eaux  Chaudes  is  very  fine,  a  torrent 
tumbling  below  the  road.  Tlie  road  from  Eaux  Chaudes  to 
Gabas  is  most  striking.  First,  boxwood,  firs,  rocks,  and 
cascades ;  then  widening,  higher  mountains,  firs  in  patches, 
and  snow  above. 

"  Next  day,  there  being  a  fete  at  Laruns,  we  could  get  no 
horses ;  so  we  went  to  the  fete,  and  saw  young  men  and 
women,  in  the  brightest  costumes,  dancing  in  the  market- 
place to  a  monotonous  tune  played  on  a  zittern.  I  took  a 
sketch  of  the  scene,  and  took  down  the  tune. 

"  Started  at  six  next  morning  on  horses  for  Cauterets, 
through  the  gorge,  and  up  the  bare  mountain.  Weather 
glorious.  Over  the  Col  de  Tortes;  very  steep.  Some  boys 
with  sheep's  milk  met  us  at  the  top.  We  walked  down  the 
steepest  part ;  it  was  most  lovely,  with  oxHps  close  to  the 
snow,  and  gentians,  auriculas,  saxifrage,  &c.  We  crossed 
the  Col  d'Arrens,  then  on  to  Val  d'Arzun,  and  a  bit  of  level 


250  Life  of  Demi  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  VII. 

road  just  as  we  came  to  Cauterets.  Eleven  hours  on  liorse- 
back  :  a  hard  day  for  us  all. 

"  Next  morning  we  started  for  Pont  d'Espagne.  Very 
fine  indeed.  At  the  Cascade  La  Cerex  a  most  lovely  rainbow 
we  saw ;  then  under  the  Vignauale^  a  first-rate  mountain,  with 
its  glaciers ;  and  that  melancholy  little  lake,  Lac  de  Gaube^. 

"  Sunday,  Aug.  19. — Came  here  (Luz)  yesterday  from 
Cauterets  down  the  gorge  to  Pierrefitte,  then  up  a  gorge  to 
this  place.  .  .  .  Service  in  our  room,  then  strolled  to  St. 
Sauveur,  and  wrote  half  a  sermon  sitting  on  some  rocks.  Off 
at  six  next  morning  for  Gavarnie  on  horseback.  We  came 
soon  to  a  curious  double  bridge ;  it  then  got  finer  and  finer. 
High  mountains  on  each  side  of  the  gorge.  At  Gedres  the 
clouds  cleared  as  we  approached  Gavarnie,  where  we  break- 
fasted in  a  chalet,  and  then  to  see  the  very  glorious  cascade — 
wonderful,  far  finer  than  the  Staubbach ;  no  words  can  de- 
scribe its  magnificence.  We  got  a  glimpse  of  the  Breche  de 
Eoland.  .  .  .  Bareges  is  a  wretched  place.  We  went  along' 
the  torrent  of  the  Bastan,  a  desolate  valley,  and  at  the  foot  of 
the  Tourmalat  turned  to  the  left,  and  climbed  the  Pic  du  Midi 
de  Bigorre  ;  stiff  work  for  the  horses,  and  rather  perilous. 
Splendid  view  at  the  top,  where  we  lunched.  The  Pyrenean 
mountains  are  inferior  to  the  Alps.  We  walked  down,  but 
mounted  our  horses  to  cross  the  Tourmalat.  Some  of  our 
party  were  not  well,  and  at  Grip  we  were  very  glad  to  have 
a  carriage  to  take  us  to  Bagneres  de  Bigorre,  where  we  stayed 
a  day  to  rest  ourselves ;  and  then  on,  up  the  valley  of  the 
Adour,  to  Arreau,  a  village  approached  by  zigzags.  Thence 
we  had  splendid  views,  and  watched  a  storm  gathering  over  the 
Maladetta,  and  at  eight  got  to  Luchon." 

[The  whole  party  halted  at  Luchon  on  account  of  my 
illness,  and  we  did  not  quit  the  place  till  September  10.    In 


8  A  small  lake,  about  two  miles  and  a  half  in  circumference,  said  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  Pyrenees.  He  calls  this  lake  melancholy,  because  near  the 
chalet,  on  a  rock,  is  a  white  marble  monument  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Patterson,  a  young  barrister  and  his  wife,  who  in  1831  were  drowned  here 
on  their  wedding  tour,  having  gone  alone  on  the  lake  in  a  boat.  It  was  some 
time  before  their  bodies  were  found.  See  a  poem  of  Lord  Houghton's  on 
this  subject,  called,  "A  Tragedy  of  the  Lac  de  Gaube  in  the  Pyrenees." 


1855]  Toulouse.  251 

the  interval,  however,  many  Httle  expeditions  were  made,  as 
appears  by  the  following  notes.] 

"  Aug.  24. — Three  of  us  on  horseback  back  to  the  Yal  de 
Lys  ;  very  beautiful  valley,  rich  in  forests,  and  at  the  head  a 
grand  snowy  mountain  with  glaciers. 

"  Aug.  30. — To  the  Lac  d'Oo,  and  reached  it,  but  we  had  a 
storm  of  rain;  the  way  there  very  striking;  wooded  valley, 
with  torrents  ;  the  cascade  fine,  but  no  adjuncts. 

"Aug.  31. — Part  of  the  way  up  Super  Bagneres  on  foot; 
a  very  fine  ramble  ;  we  got  ferns,  and  caught  a  large  yellow- 
black  lizard  [now  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Mitchinson,  of 
Canterbury] . 

"  Se])t.  1 . — Walked  to  Montanban ;  saw  the  garden  and 
cascades;  petty  and  artificial,  but  pretty.  The  Dean  and 
Mrs.  Milman,  Su'  Henry  and  Lady  Holland,  are  here. 

"  Sunday,  Sejpt.  9. — To  the  English  service.  I  preached 
in  the  morning  from  Matt.  x.  32,  33,  and  Mr.  Milman 
intoned.  Afternoon  I  did  the  whole  sejrvice.  A  most  violent 
thunderstorm. 

"  Se-pt.  10.— Left  with  much  regi'et,  yet  glad  to  get  away. 
Stopped  to  dine  at  St.  Bertrand  de  Comminges,  where  there 
is  a  most  curious  old  cathedral.'^ 

[Here  is  a  gap  in  the  journal  which  I  must  supply. 
On  the  10th  we  slept  at  a  small  inn  without  unpacking  our 
luggage,  which  was  strapped  behind  our  carriage.  Next 
day  (11th)  we  passed  through  St.  Gaudens,  where  we  stopped 
to  dine.  Long  after  dark  we  reached  Toulouse,  which  was 
illuminated  on  account  of  the  fall  of  Sebastopol.  Great  was 
our  dismay,  when  we  ordered  our  luggage  to  be  sent  up,  to 
find  that  all  our  money  had  been  stolen.  A  hole  had  been 
made  in  my  husband's  knapsack,  and  it  had  been  emptied. 
Happily  for  us,  the  money  was  in  circular  notes  which,  of 
course,  were  of  no  use  to  the  thieves'. 

"  8e]pt.  12. — Awakened  at  five  by  infinite  clatter  of  market 
women  in  the  place  outside.     At  eight  went  to  the  Capitole 


"  Nearly  every  thing  they  had  stolen  from  us  was  found  some  months 
afterwards  in  the  thieves'  house,  and  restored  to  us  in  London. 


252  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

about  my  unfortunate  luggage.  Went  to  tlie  Palais  do 
Justice,  and  there  saw  commissaires,  and  was  questioned  by 
the  Procureur  Imperiale. 

"  Coutoir,  the  banker  (most  kindly,  though  I  was  a  perfect 
stranger,  and  without  a  passport,  for  the  thieves  had  taken 
it),  immediately  let  me  have  20^.  in  French  money,  and  ad- 
vised me  to  telegraph  to  my  London  banker,  Barnett  and 
Hoare,  which  I  did,  and  in  six  hours  an  answer  came. 

''  Toulouse  is  an  old  town,  for  the  most  part  irregularly 
built ;  streets  narrow,  and  houses  high.  We  saw  in  the 
Capitole  the  throne-room  where  Napoleon  and  Josephine  held 
their  levees,  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  afterwards ;  and 
we  saw,  too,  the  court  where  the  Duke  de  Montmorency  was 
beheaded  by  order  of  Richelieu.  A  short  distance  from 
Toulouse  we  saw  the  Obelisk  to  commemorate  the  battle. 
After  leaving  the  department  of  Haute  Glaronne,  and  entering 
that  of  Aude,  a  miserable  difference  for  the  worst  in 
the  roads.  We  did  not  reach  Carcassonne  till  late.  The 
stars  are  beautiful  in  this  southern  climate.  I  noticed  that 
the  Great  Bear  was  much  lower  than  it  ever  is  in  England. 
Carcassonne  is  a  very  curious  old  town.  The  fortifica- 
tions of  several  different  periods  running  round  the  top  of  a 
wooded  hill ;  a  fine  old  church,  pure  Byzantine  ;  choir  flam- 
boyant, with  some  fine  painted  glass.  There  was  a  curious 
well,  into  which  the  Visigoths  were  said  to  have  thrown  their 
treasures. 

"  The  country  beyond  Carcassonne  began  soon  to  alter,  and 
put  on  a  more  southern  character;  olives  soon  made  their 
appearance,  and  the  grapes  were  ripe ;  then  the  road  became 
arid  and  dusty ;  low  hills,  bare  and  rocky,  approached  the 
road,  and  this  scenery  continued  till  we  came  near  Narbonne. 
It  is  impossible  to  imagine  a  bleaker  situation  than  that 
of  Narbonne  as  approached  from  the  west;  the  whole 
country  is  whitened  with  dust — olives,  grapes,  figs — aU  as  if 
powdered  with  flour.  The  cathedral  at  Beziers  is  the  scene 
of  the  slaughter  of  the  Albigenses.  There  is  a  striking  view 
from  the  terrace  in  front ;  a  rich  plain,  full  of  vines  and 
olives,  stretching    to   the   Cevennes  mountains,  beautifully 


1855]  Montpeliei".    Nismes.  253 

dappled  with  the  morning  sun  and  shades.  ...  As  we  came 
near  Montpelier  some  beautiful  views  of  the  blue  Mediter- 
ranean. We  saw  here  first  the  grapes  being  trodden  out 
by  men  with  naked  feet.  Splendid  sunset^  colours  more  bril- 
liant and  distinct  than  I  ever  remember  having  seen  them, 
except  perhaps  at  Venice. 

"  Se-pt.  16. — Sunday  at  Montpelier.  Heard  the  day  is  set 
apart  throughout  France  for  a  great  ^owr  de  fete,  on  account 
of  the  taking  of  Sebastopol.  We  had  service  in  our  room, 
and  went  out  in  the  evening  to  see  the  illuminations. 
Next  day  by  train  to  Nismes,  where  we  saw  the  Amphi- 
theatre and  Maison  Carree.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  the 
interesting  points  of  these  splendid  remains ;  the  Amphi- 
theatre is  perfect  in  circumference,  here  and  there  broken 
and  ruined  in  detail,  but  still  in  good  preservation  enough 
to  have  accommodated  30,000  persons  at  a  bull-fight. 
Within,  all  the  fittings-up  are  still  in  a  great  measure  per- 
fect; the  whole  is  a  vast  monument  of  that  wonderful 
people  with  whom  ^  panem  et  circenses '  was  the  secret  of 
colonial  as  of  urban  government.  From  the  Amphitheatre 
we  went  to  the  Maison  Carree,  whose  beauty  must  be  seen 
for  any  idea  to  be  formed  of  it :  it  is  indeed  an  exquisite 
gem,  never  to  be  forgotten.  There  is  among  the  old  paths 
in  the  public  gardens,  a  very  interesting  round  temple  of 
Diana.  The  antiquities  at  Aries  are  on  a  much  larger  scale 
than  those  at  Nismes,  but  not  in  such  good  preservation. 
The  cathedral  has  a  beautiful  porch,  and  an  exquisite 
cloister;  transition  from  Classic  to  Christian  architecture. 
At  Avignon  we  went  to  the  Hotel  Palais  Royal,  the  same 
house  in  which  Marshal  Brune  was  assassinated.  In  the 
cathedral  is  a  very  curious  portico,  almost  like  a  pagan 
temple. 

"  At  Orange  we  saw  the  Arch  of  Triumph  spanning  the 
road,  probably  built  to  celebrate  a  victory  over  some  allies 
of  Hannibal  in  the  second  Punic  War.  The  theatre  here  is 
a  vast  and  most  interesting  ruin.  We  mounted  the  hill  in 
which  it  is  excavated,  and  saw  an  exquisite  view  from  the 
top;  the  plain  of  the  Rhone,  for  many  miles  fertile,  and 


254  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VIT. 

dappled  with  towers  and  houses ;  to  the  east,  the  lower  spurs 
of  the  Alps.  The  colour  and  character  of  the  landscape 
surpassed  any  thing  I  had  ever  anticipated, 

"  Next  day  to  see  the  Pont  du  Gard,  crossing  the  two 
branches  of  the  Rhone,  magnificent  views  over  the  valley  of 
the  Rhone — yellow  vineyards,  grey  olives,  and  rocks  sloping 
down  to  the  valley,  a  few  dark  cypresses  spire  up  among 
the  vines,  and  like  landmarks  give  distance  to  the  fore- 
ground. The  valley  itself  is  all  luxuriance  and  richness,  full 
of  timber  and  divided  by  the  full  glittering  Rhone  ;  beyond 
are  the  lower  spurs  of  the  Alps,  bright  and  distinct  against 
the  sky,  and  over  all  the  delicious  climate  pencilling  and 
painting  all  objects  with  its  clear  pearly  atmosphere  ;  as  we 
mount  higher,  Avignon  itself  comes  out  from  behind  a  hill 
all  reflected  in  the  glassy  stream. 

'^  The  Pont  du  Gard  is  1 20  feet  above  the  stream.  The  sun 
came  out  as  we  sat  looking  at  the  bridge  and  lit  it  up  with 
a  warm  yellow  colour,  which,  with  the  blue  sky  behind,  pro- 
duced a  lovely  effect.  Early  next  morning  to  Vaucluse, 
The  fountain  is  in  a  dark  cleft  of  some  bare  limestone  hills 
much  resembling  the  Mendip  chain.  The  water  in  the 
stream  is  the  brightest  and  clearest  I  ever  saw :  vivid  green; 
every  pebble  at  whatever  depth  clearly  seen,  and  every  leaf 
of  the  water-plants  as  distinctly.  As  we  advanced  the 
water  tumbles  over  large  loose  rocks,  then  one  part  of 
it  and  another  comes  to  its  source,  rushing  out  from  under 
the  rocks  on  each  side  until  the  whole  at  this  season  of  the 
year  is  exhausted,  and  nothing  is  left  but  a  chaos  of  large 
rocks  covered  with  black  dry  moss,  very  strange.  Under  a 
huge  limestone  rock  is  a  great  cavernous  opening,  above 
which  grow  two  or  three  wild  fig-trees,  marking  the  spot 
to  which  the  waters  reach  in  winter  when  they  tumble  in  a 
cascade  over  the  black  rocks.  Then  we  made  our  way  back, 
and  collected  many  roots  of  the  beautiful  maiden-hair 
fern, 

"  On  our  route  to  Lyons  the  most  interesting  points  were 
the  Chateau  of  Mornas,  whence  the  Baron  des  Audrets  made 
his  Catholic  prisoners  leap  the  famous  Pont  St.  Esprit,  the 


1855]  Lyons.    Paris.  255 

longest  stone  bridge  in  the  world ;  Pierrelatte^  with  its  iso- 
lated rock ;  VivierSj  a  cathedral  on  a  rock  over  the  Ehone, 
and  its  town  clustering  round  it,  Montelimart,  the  metro- 
polis of  the  silk-worm  district^  Livron  and  Loriol,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  Drome,  up  which  is  seen  the  majestic  mass 
of  La  Roche  Courbe,  and  other  grand  mountains,  bounded 
on  the  east  by  large  dark  limestone  cliffs,  serried  by  yellow 
water-courses.  Thus  we  passed  Yienne,  and  thus  we  ap- 
proached the  lights  of  Lyons  twinkling  far  up  in  the  sky. 

"  At  Lyons  we  mounted  the  680  steps  of  Notre  Dame 
des  Fourvieres,  whence  a  magnificent  view  of  the  city  and 
the  river  for  many  miles;  the  mountains  of  Switzerland, 
Italy,  Auvergne,  Dauphine,  and  the  Jura.  From  Lyons, 
through  Dijon  and  Sens,  to  Fontaiuebleau,  which  Fanny  and 
I  saw  last  in  1837.  Louis  Philippe  has  half  spoilt  it  by  re- 
storing the  faded  old  rooms,  and  Louis  Napoleon  has  removed 
one  of  the  most  interesting  things  in  it — the  table  on  which 
Napoleon  I.  signed  his  abdication ;  however,  we  were  much 
struck  with  the  old  place,  and  had  a  nice  drive  in  the  forest. 
The  rocks  are  like  those  at  Tonbridge  Wells ;  in  some  parts 
very  fine  trees :  one  oak,  called  '  Le  Bouquet  du  Roi,' 
eighty  feet  of  straight  stem  before  it  branches  off.   .  . 

"  At  Paris  I  found  I  was  placarded  to  preach  at  the  Oratoire 
on  Sunday.  Spent  our  time  in  sight-seeing.  We  thoroughly 
examined  the  Louvre,  and  I  was  much  struck  by  the  excel- 
lent classification  and  arrangement  there.  To  the  Exposi- 
tion to  see  the  pictures — some  of  the  best  pictures  at  present 

in  Europe England  cuts  but  a  very  sorry  figure,  in  my 

opinion,  except  in  portraits.  On  Sunday  30th,  at  eight, 
went  to  help  at  the  early  communion  at  the  Oratoire.  Then 
finishing  my  sermon^,  which  I  preached  at  two.  It  was  a 
thanksgiving-day  for  the  fall  of  Sebastopol.  Good  congre- 
gation. Collection  for  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who 
had  been  killed.     October  3rd. — Home,  thank  God.     A  very 


1  The  text  was  St.  Luke  siv.  11.     The  sermon  was  printed  in  "  Quebec 
Chapel  Sermons,"  vol.  vii.  No.  18. 


256  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

rougli  passage.  Did  not  reacli  Hamilton  Terrace  till  after 
one  o^clock." 

After  our  return,  the  last  tliree  months  of  the  year  were 
spent  in  ordinary  work.  He  was  engaged  in  writing  the 
Commentary  on  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  and  Colossians 
included  in  the  third  volume  of  the  Greek  Testament,  and 
in  seeing  through  the  press  the  third  edition  of  the  first 
volume.  His  journal  records  a  party  at  which  he  met  ^'  Mr. 
Euskin,  very  interesting  and  original;"  a  perusal  of  " 'Maude/ 
very  remarkable  poem,  but  it  is  a  pity  that  Tennyson  does 
not  labour  at  something  greater;"  his  lecture  in  Exeter 
Hall  on  St.  Paul ;  his  going  to  Windsor  Castle  as  one  of  the 
deputation  who  presented  an  address  to  Victor  Emmanuel, 
King  of  Sardinia;  and  his  attending  a  meeting  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  at 
which  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  Memorial  Church  at  Con- 
stantinople. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  his  closing  reflection  is  : — "  Of  many 
mercies  this  year,  the  chief  has  been  the  sparing  my  darling 
wife's  life  in  her  serious  illness,  and  so  far  restoring  her 
precious  sight.  '  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that 
is  within  me  praise  His  holy  name.''  " 

The  first  half  of  1 856  passed  without  any  unusual  incident. 
His  journal  shows  that  he  was  engaged  in  his  Commentary 
on  the  Pastoral  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  first  edition  of 
the  third  volume  was  completed  before  the  end  of  July.  All 
the  sermons  contained  in  the  third  volume  of  his  "  Quebec 
Chapel  Sermons"  were  composed  and  printed  within  the 
same  period.  Amongst  them  is  included  one  (Sermon  xxii.. 
On  the  Perils  of  Unlawful  Gain)  which  attracted  considerable 
notice  at  the  time,  and  was  printed  separately. 

During  this  time  he  gave  much  attention  to  the  concerns  of 
a  reformatory.  His  journal  records  his  pleasure  in  meeting 
several  persons  of  intellectual  distinction  at  the  hospitable 
houses  of  members  of  his  congregation :  as  Mr.  Hallam,  at 
Mr.  C.  Buxton's;  Lord  Elgin  and  Lord  Dufierin,  at  the 
Duke  of  Argyll's ;  Lord  Stanhope,  at  Mr.  Caldwell's,  &c. 

Soon  after  the  Proclamation  (April  2)  of  peace  between 


1856]  Greek  Testament  Class.  257 

Russia  and  the  Western  powers,  he  preached  a  thanks- 
giving sermon  (Vol.  iii.  Sermon  xxiii.),  and  the  collections 
on  that  day  in  Quebec  Chapel  amounted  to  253/.  for  the 
Memorial  Church  at  Constantinople. 

Early  in  June  he  went  with  the  Cambridge  "  Deputation 
to  Buckingham  Palace  to  the  Queen  with  an  address  on  the 
Peace.  Her  answer  was  read  beautifully ;  great  crowd,  and 
most  undignified  squeeze  in  the  presence." 

He  continued  his  habitual  attendance  on  the  Committees 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the 
Foreign  Translation  Fund  of  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge.  Besides  ordinary  work  in  connexion 
with  Quebec  Chapel,  he  gave  much  attention  to  a  singing  class 
and  to  a  class  of  ladies  whom  he  instructed  in  the  rudiments 
of  Greek,  with  a  view;  to  their  becoming  able  to  read  the 
New  Testament  in  the  original  language.  In  the  course 
of  a  year  he  carried  them  through  some  chapters  of  St. 
John^s  Gospel,  explaining  every  word  grammatically.  This 
class  met  every  Wednesday  afternoon  in  the  vestry  of 
Quebec  Chapel.  I  may  here  mention  that  when  he  left 
London  in  1857,  he  was  presented  by  the  members  of  this 
class  with  a  time-piece  of  red  Devonshire  marble,  two  bronze 
vases  and  a  dog,  which  he  acknowledged  in  the  following- 
letter  to  Mrs.  Manning,  one  of  the  givers. 

"  Pray  let  me  convey  through  you  my  most  hearty  thanks 
to  my  kind  Hellenistic  friends  for  their  very  beautiful  pre- 
sent. I  ought  to  be  well  up  in  my  tenses,  with  a  clock  to 
mark  time,  two  urns  to  bury  it  in,  and  a  dog  to  keep  watch 
over  it.  I  assure  you  all  four  shall  adorn  my  chimney-pieco 
in  the  Deanery  Library.  I  only  should  like  to  assemble  my 
class  again  in  front  of  it,  and  give  them  another  dose  of 
Greek  in  our  mellow  Kentish  air.  Once  more,  dear  friends, 
with  very  pleasant  recollections  of  the  past  both  aorist  and 
perfect,  lively  sympathy  with  the  present,  best  wishes  for 
the  future,  and  earnest  prayers  for  the  second  future,  I 
heartily  thank  you  all, 

"  Yours,  in  the  bonds  of  lasting  remembrance, 

"  Henry  Alford." 


258  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

There  was  also  a  young  men^s  class  which  studied 
under  his  direction  with  the  same  object.  They  met  every 
Friday  evening  in  Aldersgate  Street;  from  them  also  he 
received  a  handsome  and  useful  present  when  we  left 
London. 

Early  in  1856  he  was  forced  to  enter  on  a  personal  con- 
troversy. He  records  in  February  his  attendance  at  "  a 
meeting  of  clergy  about  opening  the  Crystal  Palace  and  Public 
Galleries  on  Sundays :  J.  H.  Gurney  made  a  noble  speech." 
The  proposal  for  such  opening  of  places  of  amusement 
was  opposed  by  the  speakers  on  different  grounds^  accord- 
ing to  their  views  of  the  obligation  of  the  fourth  command- 
ment. To  correct  misrepresentations  of  his  own  opinion 
he  printed  two  letters  to  J.  Sperling,  Esq.,  on  the  Lord's 
Day  Question.  In  the  first  he  thus  states  his  view  of  the 
Lord's  Day,  which  he  declines  to  call  the  Sabbath.  "  The 
Lord's  Day  is  an  ordinance  of  the  Christian  Church,  which 
has  gradually  grown  up  from  Apostolic  usage,  and  is  bind- 
ing on  Christian  men  as  a  matter  of  religious  order  and 
humane  provision  for  rest  and  for  worship;  but  it  has 
absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  the  Paradisaical  Sabbath : 
and  to  maintain  their  identity  is,  in  my  view,  not  only 
indicative  of  ignorance  of  the  constitution  of  man  in  Christ, 
but  absolutely  anti-Christian  in  tendency." 

In  the  second  letter  he  refers  to  a  newspaper  which  had 
accused  him  of  ministering  disingenuously  at  the  Com- 
munion Table  when  he  read  the  Fourth  Commandment, 
and  had  pronounced  him  "  unfit  to  remain  in  the  Church 
of  England."     He  answers, — 

''  I  utterly  deny  the  charge  of  disingenuousness.  I  read 
the  Ten  Commandments  in  the  sense  in  which  I  consider 
all  Christian  ministers  must  read  them — in  their  Christian 
sense,  as  necessarily  interpreted  for  us  by  the  light  of 
Christ's  Gospel,  which  has  not  destroyed  but  fulfilled  them, 
deepening  their  meaning  and  binding  on  us  more  solemnly 
the  eternal  truths  which  they  enforce,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  has  removed  from  them  all  mere  local  and  temporary 
references." 


1856]  The  Lord's  Day  Question.  259 

And  he  supports  bis  view  by  quotations  from  tlie  Church. 
Catechism,  the  Confession  of  Augsburg.  Luther's  Commen- 
tary on  Galatians,  Calvin's  Institutes,  Cranmer,  Becon_, 
Thorndike,  and  Jeremy  Taylor.  The  article  in  which  he 
was  thus  accused  was  full  of  personal  vituperation,  being 
one  of  a  series  by  which  (as  he  was  informed  by  a  trust- 
worthy person)  it  was  intended  by  the  proprietors  of  the 
newspaper  to  "  write  him  down."  He  comments  on  this  in 
language  which  perhaps  might  apply  in  some  degree  to 
other  publications  besides  that  at  which  it  was  levelled. 
"  It  is  the  deliberate  conviction  of  the  writer,  founded  on 
long  experience  of  hearts  embittered,  love  between  good 
men  chilled,  ungrounded  suspicion  sown,  and  mischief  occa- 
sioned by  slander  and  falsehood  in  parishes  and  families, 
that  this  paper  has  done  and  is  doing  more  to  hinder  the 
spread  among  us  of '  the  mind  which  was  in  Christ,'  and 
the  progress  of  His  work,  than  all  the  infidel  publications 
of  our  time  put  together.  Tlieir  evil  influence,  sad  as  it  is, 
affects  for  the  most  part  those  without  j  its  evil  influence 
is  exerted  over  those  who  are  Christians  in  heart  and  life." 
He  goes  on  to  invite  men  of  piety  in  the  Evangelical 
party  to  put  forth  a  manly  expression  of  their  opinions 
respecting  the  course  followed  by  the  newspaper,  or,  "  better 
still,  let  the  paper  cease  from  its  present  practices  and  learn 
to  write  in  truth  and  love,  then  would  all  good  men  hail 
it,  whether  they  agreed  with  or  differed  from  its  peculiar 
sentiments,  as  a  fellow-worker  in  God's  cause  and  a  furtherer, 
instead  of  a  hinderer  of  those  things  which  are  true  and 
lovely  and  of  good  report."  His  fearless  reply  had  at  least 
one  good  effect :  it  was  followed  by  a  cessation  of  the  series 
of  personal  articles. 

A  good  illustration  of  his  way  of  spending  Sunday,  amid 
the  difficult  circumstances  of  an  Italian  tour,  is  afforded  by 
a  passage  in  his  "Letters  from  Abroad,"  pp.  184 — 187, 
written  in  1864. 

About  the  end  of  March  he  spent  a  week  among  old 
friends  at  the  Rectory  of  Loughborough  and  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood. 

S  2 


26o  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

His  principal  recreation  was  a  sojourn  for  two  months 
in  Scotland,  whither  we  went  in  July  28th.  Our  retreat 
was  a  little  cottage  at  the  side  of  a  hill  near  Pitlochrie, 
Perth.  "  The  first  Sunday/^  he  says,  "  was  very  wet ;  so 
we  had  in  the  poor  people  round,  and  gave  them  a  service 
after  their  own  fashion,  singing  too,  there  being  one  of 
their  hymn  books  in  the  cottage.  This  service  I  continued 
all  the  time  I  stayed  there,  and  every  Sunday  (being  asked 
by  Lord  Effingham)  we  all  went  to  Pitlochrie,  and  I  gave 
the  English  in  the  neighbourhood  an  English  Episcopal 
Service.  So  I  have  not  much  rest  in  that  way  in  Scot- 
land.^^ 

"Aug.  11. — Made  an  expedition  to  see  Balmoral  from 
Braemar  with  Miss  Leycester  and  Mrs.  Hare  and  her  son. 
We  four  went  in  a  dog-cart  drawn  by  two  piebald 
ponies,  who  did  not  like  the  new  bridge  as  we  approached 
Balmoral,  and  darted  off  at  a  furious  pace,  and  we  were 
very  nearly  having  an  accident  close  to  Her  Majesty's  Lodge. 
Most  happily,  Mrs.  Hare's  coachman  and  the  people  at  the 
lodge  made  a  line  across  the  road  and  stopped  the  little 
spirited  things.  Balmoral  is  a  large,  imposing  mass  of 
buildings :  we  took  several  sketches.  On  September  22nd 
we  left  our  cottage,  and  after  seeing  Taymouth  Castle, 
Glencoe,  Oban,  &c.,  returned  by  Inverary,  Loch  Tyne,  Loch 
Katrine,  and  the  Trossachs,  to  the  Macnaughtens  at  Inver- 
trossachs,  where  we  spent  a  few  most  pleasant  days ;  and 
home  by  Stirling  and  Edinburgh,  making  an  expedition 
to  Roslin  Chapel,  which  is  very  beautiful.^' 

The  following  letter  was  written  whilst  we  were  in  Scot- 
land to  our  intimate  and  valued  friend  Mrs.  Speir  (afterwards 
Mrs.  Manning),  authoress  of  a  well-known  book  on  Ancient 

India. 

"  Bimfa/llaTvdy,  Pitlochrie,  Aug.  6,  1856. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  letter  received  yesterday ;  the 
weather  has  been  perfectly  tropical  since  we  have  been  here, 
and  the  days  are  so  long,  that  there  is  no  end  of  strolling, 
and  sitting  out  of  doors ;  we  spent  a  day  in  sight-seeing  in 
Edinburp-h  ;  from  Perth  we  took  a  drive  to  see  the  view  from 


1856]  Tottr  in  Scotland.  261 

Moncrieff  H'xW,  wliicli  is  very  fine;  at  Dunkeldj  we  saw  high- 
land games  which  were  going  on.  All  the  world  in  kilts, 
plenty  of  kueeology,  and  that  in  Presbyterian  Scotland.  We 
went  over  the  Duke  of  Athol's  grounds  ;  very  pretty,  most 
luxuriant  timber,  which  I  had  not  expected  so  far  north. 
They  took  us  to  see  a  waterfall,  for  which  we  should  not 
have  turned  our  heads  in  passing  last  summer  in  the  Pyrenees. 
On  Thursday  we  came  on  here ;  ours  is  the  merest  little  cot- 
tage, the  whole  house,  chimneys  and  all,  would  go  into  a 
Portman  Square  drawing-room.  It  is  literally  ^In  my  cot- 
tage near  a  wood,^  under  a  great  heather-clad  glen-intersected 
hill,  itself  on  a  grassy  knoll,  commanding  a  view  up  and  down 
the  vale  of  the  Tummel  for  many  miles.  Here  we  are  as 
quiet  as  we  please,  walking,  fishing  (without  any  result  ex- 
cept pleasant  explorations  as  yet) ;  we  have  been  up  to  Killie- 
crankie,  to  Tummel  Bridge,  a  very  lovely  and  at  last  wild 
ridge.  Fanny  sketches  all  day,  I  occasionally,  as  leisure 
serves,  as  I  am  correcting  proof-sheets.  We  are  all  very 
well  and  enjoying  ourselves  vastly;  the  air  is  very  fine  here, 
at  least  it  provokes  immense  consumption  of  oat-cakes  and 
Scotch  broth,  and  smells  of  all  manner  of  mountain  flowers. 
Your  pictorial  apparatus  is  in  constant  use,  not  yet  by  me, 
but  I  mean  to  attack  it  in  a  few  days." 

To  the  same  lady  he  wrote,  a  few  weeks  later,  when  the 
weather  had  changed,  a  poetical  letter,  which  is  to  be  found 
in  his  "  Poems,"  p.  330. 

The  following  letter  was  written  from  Scotland  to  the  Rev. 
II.  Fearon,  Rector  of  Loughborough,  in  answer  to  an  invi- 
tation : — 

"  September  4. 

"  It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  you,  and  rub  up  our  social  sympathies  among  our  old 
friends,  not  excepting  the  clan  Kingston,  of  whose  Chief,  I 
trust  it  may  still  be  said,  St/outt  avrbu  KoXeovcri  6eo\  dv8pe<i  Se 
BiXirep. 

"  Well,  here  we  are  in  a  very  pretty  place  in  the  valley  of 
Strath  of  the  Tummel,  just  below  the  Pass  of  Killiecrankie, 
where,  you  remember,  Claverhouse  fell.      We  might  have 


262  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

plenty  of  amusement  in  glen  and  hill  and  lake^  were  we 
not  persecuted  by  the  most  execrable  weather^  clouds,  rain, 
and  wind  every  day.  We  went  last  week  to  Braemar  and 
Balmoral ;  it  is  a  fine  wild  country,  possessing  nothing  to  be 
called  a  mountain  to  one  who  has  been  to  North  Wales,  say 
nothing  of  the  Alps  and  Pyrenees ; — they  are  all  mere  upland 
hills." 

On  our  return  to  London,  he  began  the  Fourth  and  last 
Volume  of  his  Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testament,  begin- 
ning with  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  and  ending  with  Eeve- 
lation.  At  the  same  time  he  entered,  in  conjunction  with 
four  clerical  friends,  on  the  work  of  revising  certain  books  of 
the  Authorized  Version  of  the  New  Testament.  The  Eev.  W. 
G.  Humphry,  Vicar  of  St.  Martin's  in  the  Fields,  who  took 
part  in  this  work,has  kindly  written  the  following  account  of  it. 

"  The  Rev.  Nugent  Wade',  who  for  many  years  has  acted 
and  still,  as  you  know,  acts  as  Secretary  to  our  Clerical  Club, 
has  fortunately  preserved  a  record  of  the  conversation  in 
which  the  work  of  the  ^Five  Clergymen'  took  its  origin. 
The  entry  made  by  him  in  his  journal  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  club  is  as  follows  : — 

*'  'May  7,  1856,  the  club  met  at  Cook's;  and  all  were  pre- 
sent, viz.  Hawkins,  Kempe,  Howarth,  Maurice,  Ayre,  Hamil- 
ton, Humphry,  Alford,  Brookfield,  Wordsworth,  and  Wade. 
The  question  of  the  desirableness  of  a  new  translation  of 
the  Scriptures  was  discussed.  The  objections  to  any  move 
at  the  present  time  were  considered.  Mr.  Humphry  sug- 
gested that  a  revised  translation  might  be  made  by  six  of  the 
ablest  scholars  of  each  University  acting  in  concert ;  that 
such  a  publication  would  be  highly  beneficial,  at  all  events  to 
the  clergy,  and  would  be  a  safe  mode  of  ventilating  the  sub- 
ject; in  this  opinion  all  concurred.  The  subject  was  again 
discussed  at  the  next  monthly  conference  held  at  Kempe's,  on 
the  5th  of  June.' 

"  The  project  which  had  been  thus  set  on  foot,  was  warmly 
taken  up  by  Ernest  Hawkins,  who  laboured  heartily  for  its 


'   Now  Canon  of  Bristol. 


1856]  Revision  of  Nezu  Testament.  263 

accomplishment.  He  obtained  the  co-operation  of  the  two 
Oxford  members  of  the  confraternity,  Dr.  Moberlj,  and  Dr. 
Barrow  ;  while  Alford  secured  the  willing  adhesion  of  Ellicott. 
And  on  further  consideration  it  was  thought  best  in  such 
a  tentative  undertaking  to  limit  our  number  to  five. 

"  The  first  union  of  the  little  brotherhood  took  place  on  the 
19th  of  June,  at  St.  Martin's  Vicarage,  where  the  subsequent 
meetings  were  usually  held. 

"  The  mode  of  proceeding  was  as  follows : — each  of  the  four 
independently  of  the  others,  made  his  suggestions  on  a  pre- 
scribed number  of  verses,  and  sent  a  copy  of  them  on  a 
certain  day  to  each  of  his  colleagues.  This  interchange  was 
repeated  at  weekly  or  fortnightly  intervals  for  several  months, 
until  we  were  able  to  meet  together,  and  devote  a  few  days 
to  the  joint  consideration  of  that  portion  of  the  sacred  text 
which  had  been  already  considered  by  us  separately. 

"  Ernest  Hawkins  was  a  frequent  assessor  at  our  delibera- 
tions ;  and  though  he  modestly  declined  to  give  an  opinion 
on  questions  of  scholarship,  he  was  useful  as  peculiarly  sen- 
sitive to  the  English  idiom  and  rhythm.  He  did  much  also 
by  his  constant  good  humour,  and  by  the  interest  which  he 
took  in  the  work,  to  enliven  our  long  discussions,  and  lighten 
our  toil. 

"  The  first  publication,  the  revised  version  of  St.  John,  with 
a  preface,  appeared  in  the  spring  of  1857.  It  was  followed 
by  the  Eomans,  with  a  preface,  December,  1857.  The  two 
Epistles  to  the  Corinthians,  with  a  preface,  December,  1858; 
and  the  Epistles  to  the  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Philippians, 
and  Colossians,  May,  1861.  The  second  edition  of  the  Gos- 
pel of  St.  John,  and  the  Romans  appeared  without  alteration; 
and  a  third  edition  of  the  Gospel  carefully  revised  in  1863. 
I  need  hardly  tell  you  that  Alford  was  a  most  delightful 
fellow-worker  and  gained  the  afiection  of  us  all.  Thoroughly 
versed  in  the  subject,  he  was  not  in  the  least  disposed  to 
dogmatize,  or  press  his  own  opinion  unduly ;  he  was  quick 
in  catching  and  appreciating  the  suggestions  and  arguments 
of  others,  even  when  they  were  at  variance  with  his  own. 
Though  our  work  did  not  attract  a  very  large  share  of  atten- 


264  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

tion  from  the  public  in  general^  it  was  favourably  received 
by  those  who  were  competent  to  judge  of  it,  and  if  by  its 
conservative  character  it  allayed  the  apprehensions  of  many 
persons,  and  disappointed  the  expectations  of  a  few,  it  fully 
answered  its  purpose  in  contributing  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  more  comprehensive  scheme  of  Biblical  revision  which  is 
now  in  progress. 

'''With  regard  to  his  part  in  initiating  in  1870  the  present 
undertaking,  others,  e.ij.  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol 
and  the  Dean  of  Westminster,  would  be  able  to  tell  you  much 
more  than  I  can,  as  I  was  only  invited  to  join  when  the  pre- 
liminary stage  had  been  passed.  While  the  matter  was 
under  discussion  in  the  Lower  House  of  Convocation,  Alford 
took  an  active  part  in  advocating  the  admission  of  the  Non- 
conformists of  all  denominations  to  a  participation  in  the 
work;  and  a  speech  which  he  made  in  that  behalf  was 
described,  even  by  those  who  did  not  agree  with  him,  as  one 
of  the  most  eloquent,  touching,  and  effective  addresses  that 
had  been  heard  in  the  Jerusalem  Chamber. 

"  As  a  member  of  the  Company  formed  for  the  revision  of 
the  English  New  Testament,  his  opinion  on  difficult  points 
of  criticism,  interpretation,  and  rendering,  was  always  re- 
ceived with  interest  and  respect ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  that 
in  general  he  kept  himself  in  the  back-ground,  as  if  he  felt 
that  his  suggestions  were  sufficiently  before  us  in  his  re- 
vised version  of  the  New  Testament  published  in  1869  :  a 
copy  of  which  he  presented  to  every  member  of  the  com- 
pany. 

"The  book  remains,  but  makes  us  feel  continually  how 
much  we  have  lost  in  the  man.'^ 

It  was  his  practice,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  to 
preach  twice  every  Sunday  at  Quebec  Chapel.  His  morn- 
ing's sermons  were  carefully  written,  and  seven  volumes  of 
them  are  published  under  the  title  of  "  Quebec  Chapel 
Sermons,^'  which  convey  the  best  representation  of  his 
method  and  style  of  preaching.  But  the  afternoon  was 
appropriated  to  an  extempore  expository  lecture  on  some 
portion  of  Scripture,     For  this  he  entered  the  pulpit  with 


1856]         Afternoon  Lectures  at  Quebec  Chapel.       265 

a  single  sheet  of  notes^  and  Theile  and  Stier's  edition  of  the 
New  Testament  in  Latin^  Greek,  German,  and  English. 
Having  thus,  in  the  com*se  of  about  a  year  and  a  half,  gone 
through  St,  John's  Gospel  in  order,  he  began  in  the  winter 
of  1856  to  explain  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  In  accordance 
with  a  suggestion  of  some  of  his  hearers,  he  tried  the 
experiment  of  procuring  a  short-hand  writer  to  take  down 
the  afternoon  lectures  as  they  were  delivered.  I  believe  he 
was  not  himself  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  result.  But  the 
afternoon  discourses  preached  between  November,  1856,  and 
Spring,  1857,  were  printed  in  a  volume,  entitled  "Homilies 
on  the  First  Ten  Chapters  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.'' 
The  afternoon  lectures  were  regarded  by  many  persons  as 
the  most  peculiar  feature  of  his  ministry  at  Quebec  Chapel. 
A  friend,  B.  Shaw,  Esq.,  who  was  no  unfrequent  hearer, 
has  thus  recorded  his  recollection  of  them  : — 

"  During  the  time  that  Dean  Alford  was  Minister  of  Quebec 
Chapel,  though  I  had  the  happiness  of  knowing  him  in  private, 
I  had  not  often  the  opportunity  of  attending  his  ministrations. 
When  I  did  so  it  was  at  the  afternoon  service,  when  he  was 
accustomed  to  deliver  what  might  be  described  as  an 
exegetical  lecture,  embracing  (for  instance)  the  whole  con- 
text of  a  passage  in  the  Acts,  and  going  somewhat  fully  into 
its  connexion  and  argument.  Critical  questions  were  often 
handled,  though  only  as  far  as  the  subject  in  hand  fairly 
demanded.  This  kind  of  preaching  was  then  a  novelty, 
though  it  has  since  become  less  uncommon.  However, 
it  was  at  that  time  a  very  attractive  thing  to  find  a  first- 
rate  preacher  in  the  afternoon  of  Sunday :  as  in  other 
churches,  the  principal  second  service  was  on  Sunday 
evening. 

"  The  consequence  of  all  this  was,  that  the  Sunday  after- 
noon congregation  of  Quebec  Chapel  was  of  a  high  order ; 
members  of  Parliament,  eminent  lawyers,  and  other  repre- 
sentatives of  the  intellectual  classes  were  always  to  be  found 
there.  To  such  men  the  careful  study  of  a  definite,  but  not 
fragmentary,  portion  of  the  New  Testament  which  was  pre- 
sented to  them  was  certainly  an  interesting  thing.     Escaping 


266  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VII. 

from  the  ordinary  routiuo  of  tlie  pulpit^  it  invited  them  to 
verify  what  was  said  by  the  conscientious  study  of  the 
chapter  for  themselves.  This  was,  probably  in  many  cases, 
no  small  gain.  But  this  was  not  all.  There  was  a  freshness 
and  candour  about  the  whole  that  was  very  attractive. 
There  are  some  men  who  are  possessed  of  great  ability,  much 
learning,  considerable  intellectual  acuteness,  but  who  irre- 
sistibly convey  the  idea  that  they  hold  a  brief  for  orthodoxy, 
and  ai'e  bound  to  argue  in  the  interest  of  their  client.  It  is 
very  eloquent,  but  it  does  not  suggest  the  idea  that  the 
speaker  has  ever  put  himself  in  the  position  of  his  antagonist 
or  fairly  weighed  both  sides.  He  concedes  nothing,  he 
allows  nothing  to  be  doubtful,  he  is  prepared  to  defend  every 
point  equally. 

'^  It  was  not  so  with  Dean  Alford:  as  I  have  said,  his  mind 
was  liberal  and  candid.  He  could  give  up  what  was  unten- 
able, while  maintaining  with  the  most  entire  conviction  what 
his  own  mind  had  verified  for  itself  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  herein,  and  in  his  severe  style,  unburdened  by  any 
weight  of  useless  ornamentation,  lay  much  of  his  power  with 
the  class  of  minds  of  which  I  have  been  speaking. 

"  It  was  known,  too,  that  he  was  a  careful  scholar  and  a 
diligent  student.  Men  went  to  him  as  one  who  could  render 
a  reason,  and  who  was  not  likely  to  rely  on  a  mistranslation 
in  the  authorized  version,  either  because  he  had  not  looked 
at  his  Greek  Testament  before  he  went  into  the  pulpit,  or 
because  he  would  not  have  detected  the  error,  if  he  had. 

"  These  are  the  traits  that  suggest  themselves  to  my 
memory.  I  speak  only  of  what  I  witnessed.  Of  his  pastoral 
care,  of  his  more  practical  and  spiritual  ministrations,  others 
no  doubt,  who  were  members  of  his  flock,  will  speak. 

''  I  heard  only  occasional  specimens  of  his  exegetical  after- 
noon lectures.  I  cannot  doubt  that  it  was  a  useful  form  of 
preaching,  at  all  events,  at  one  of  the  services. 

''  His  character  in  private  at  this  time  (as  always,  as  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  form  a  judgment  of  it)  was  marked,  as  it 
appeared  to  me,  strongly  by  three  qualities— earnestness, 
for  his  religion  was  no  mere  theory ;  manliuess,  for  it  never 


i8s6]  Treatment  of  the  Poor.  267 

degenerated  into  sentimentalism  ;  energy,  for  it  abhorred  all 
idleness  of  mind  or  body  :  his  grasp  of  the  truth  he  held  was 
very  tenacious.  As  to  this,  perhaps,  I  may  add  one  word, 
though  it  belongs  to  a  later  period.  About  a  year  before 
his  death,  walking  with  him  at  Canterbury,  I  spoke  of  the 
sceptical  doubts  which  are  trying  the  faith  of  so  many  in  this 
day.  I  well  remember  that  he  seemed  almost  surprised  that 
I  spoke  of  them  so  seriously,  as  if  they  had  any  danger  for 
God-fearing  men,  and  said,  with  a  quiet  simplicity,  '  Well, 
I  have  never  felt  tempted  to  go  from  my  anchorage.'  I 
do  not  think  I  saw  him  more  than  once  afterwards.'^ 

The  following  letter  was  addressed  to  a  young  colleague, 
and  is  introduced  to  show  how  anxious  he  was  that  the  jjoor 
included  in  his  district  should  be  treated  with  the  utmost 
kindness  and  patience  : — 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  think  me  very  unreasonable  in  what 
I  am  going  to  say,  but  fairness  requires  that  I  should  say  it 
notwithstanding.  It  is,  that  your  letter,  just  received,  is  to 
my  mind  by  no  means  satisfactory  as  to  the  delinquency  of 

some  of  the  parties. 's  case  I  still  must  think  a  very 

hard  one.  Grant  all  you  say,  I  cannot  think  it  made  out ; 
still  less,  can  I  conclude  that  they  should  be  condemned  for 
not  bearing  false  witness  against  their  neighbours.     You 

allude    to 's    opinion    of    them    being    bad :    I    may 

almost  reply,  did  you  ever  hear  him  give  a  good  opinion  of 
a  poor  person  ?  I  found  this  so  constant  that  I  altogether 
at  last  abstained  from  consulting  him :  there  was  an  air  of 
triumph  and  persecution  and  self-consciousness  about  the 
man  that  disgusted  me  extremely. 

"  Let  me  give  you  one  friendly  caution.  It  is  a  tempting 
path  to  seem  to  see  more  sharply  than  others,  and  many  men 
win  their  way  by  establishing  this  character ;  but  I  doubt 
whether  it  is  one  which  becomes  us  as  Christian  ministers. 
Some  of  the  faults  you  mention  are  such  as  kind  rebuke 
and  pastoral  watching  might  serve  to  turn  into  occasions  of 
repentance.  Why  not  try  this  path  instead  of  giving  up  the 
culprits  at  once  as  wretched,  abandoned  people  ?  Let  me 
tell  you,  the  opinion  which  I  formed  of  them,  I  did  not  first 


268  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  VII. 

form ;  I  received  it  from  my  predecessor  in  tlie  district,  who 
doubtless  had  his  own  grounds,  as  I  had  mine." 

At  the  beginning  of  1857  he  writes  thus  in  his  journal : — 

"Another  year  opens  upon  me.  O  my  God  and  Re- 
deemer, sanctify  me  to  Thy  service  during  it,  or  such  part 
of  it  as  Thou  art  pleased  to  keep  me  here  in  the  flesh  ! 
Bless  my  work  in  my  study,  in  my  pulpit,  in  my  district,  in 
my  family,  in  society,  in  the  world.  Give  me  grace  to  think 
less  of  myself,  to  be  indifferent  to  men^s  estimate  of  me,  and 
more  thoroughly  and  earnestly  to  do  Thy  work  wherever  I 
am.  Give  me  prudence  and  self-restraint  to  behave  wisely 
among  men,  and  to  be  useful  in  counsel  to  those  about  me. 
May  I  be  diligent,  remembering  that  life  is  wearing  away, 
and  that  daylight  is  short  in  which  Thy  work  must  be  done. 
Bless  my  darlings  at  home,  my  own  dear  companion,  and  my 
two  beloved  girls.  Keep  them  in  safety  and  health  if  it 
please  Thee ;  at  all  events,  keep  them  in  Thy  faith  and  fear, 
and  them  and  me  in  holy  unity  and  love.  Thus,  living  or 
dying,  working  or  resting,  waking  or  sleeping,  we  shall  be 
safe ;  for  we  shall  be  Thine,  and  Thou  in  Thy  good  time 
wilt  take  us  to  be  with  Thee  and  with  our  dear  ones,  who 
are  in  bliss  under  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings  and  in  the  light 
of  Thy  glorious  face.  Do  it,  my  Saviour,  for  Thine  own 
sake ! " 

The  first  two  months  of  the  year  1857  he  carried  on  his 
usual  work  with  so  much  energy  that  his  health  was  affected, 
and  he  found  it  necessary  to  consult  his  friend  Sir  H.  Holland. 

In  the  beginning  of  March  he  went  for  a  few  days  to 
Taunton,  where  he  delivered  a  lecture  on  "  The  Pulpit 
Eloquence  of  the  Seventeenth  Century.'^  The  day  after  his 
return  (March  6),  whilst  we  were  all  receiving  some  instruc- 
tion in  water-colour  drawing  from  Mr.  Leitch,  jun.,  in 
Hamilton  Terrace,  a  letter  came  to  him  from  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  proposing  to  nominate  him  to  the  Deanery  of  Canter- 
bury. Some  slight  intimation  of  the  possibility  of  such  an 
appointment  had  been  received  from  Mr.  A.  Kinnaird,  whom 
he  met  at  a  friend's  house  the  preceding  evening;  but  it 
was  a  surprise  and  a  great  pleasure  to  us  all. 


1S57]  Appointed  Dean  of  Ca}Ucrbury.  269 

Our  first  visit  to  Canterbury  took  place  on  March  9th^  but 
more  than  three  months  elapsed  before  we  finally  left  our 
home  in  London  on  June  19th. 

Those  few  weeks  were  full  of  excitement.  There  were  the 
visits  to  Canterbury,  as  when,  on  April  lOth,  ''Read  in  and 
did  all  the  morning  and  afternoon  services.  Lovely  day  : 
enjoyed  it  much,  from  the  contrast  in  quiet  to  London.  No 
sound  but  birds  and  bells."  And  again,  on  May  29th, 
"  Preached  for  the  first  time  at  Canterbury  an  accession 
sermon.^'  There  were  not  a  few  additions  in  London  to  his 
ordinary  occupations  there,  as  when,  on  May  3rd,  he  preached 
at  St.  PauFs  Cathedral  at  the  Festival  of  the  Sons  of  the 
Clei'gy  (see  ^  Sermons,'^  vol.  vii.  page  261).  And  again, 
June  7th,  Trinity  Sunday,  he  preached  "  at  St.  Paul's,  at 
the  Bishop  of  London's  Ordination."  And  in  the  following 
week  he  went,  June  10th, ''  to  the  state  dinner  at  Lambeth," 
at  which  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  is  wont  to  entertain 
the  Stewards  and  Preacher  of  the  Festival  of  the  Sons  of  the 
Clergy;  and  on  June  11th  to  dine  with  the  Bishop  of  London, 
Dr.  Tait  [whose  acquaintance  he  had  made  just  ten  years 
previously  as  a  guest  at  Rempstone  Hall]  ;  16th,  to  dine  at 
the  Mansion  House.  He  also  began  on  June  7th  his  fare- 
well sermons  (vol.  vii.  p.  306)  to  his  congregation  at  Quebec 
Chapel. 

A  letter  written  in  April  to  his  friend,  the  Eev.  C.  Meri- 
vale,  gives  a  lively  description  of  his  induction  into  the 
decanal  seat  at  Canterbury  : — 

"  Your  congratulations  on  my  completion  as  Dean  put  me 
in  mind  how  often  I  have  intended  to  sit  down  and  scribble 
you  an  account  of  all  that  has  been  done,  but  have  not  been 
able :  how  I  was  led  in  by  Canons ;  how  Harrison  neither 
forgot  nor  mumbled  his  Latin  collect,  which  he  put  up  for 
me  in  placing  me  in  the  stall ;  how  I  was  taken  to  the  Prior's 
stone  seat  in  the  Chapter-house,  and  there  swore  a  monstrous 
long  oath  without,  as  I  believe,  any  false  quantities  (which 
flit  about  a  man  on  such  occasions) ;  and  how  the  Canons, 
one  and  all,  came  and  bowed  obedience  to  me,  hereafter  to 
be  proved.     Harrison  is  really  an  acquisition  to  one's  ac- 


270  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VII. 

quaintance — a  ripe^  though  somewhat  stiff  scholar,  and  a 
nice,  friendly  Christian  fellow.  Mrs.  H.  and  her  husband 
have  both  shown  us  all  imaginable  kindness. 

"All  this  coming  unexpectedly  over  and  above  parish  work 
has  overdone  me,  and  I  sadly  want  change ;  so  I  am  off  on 
Easter  Monday  for  South  Wales,  to  Glasbury,  near  Hay, 
where  a  brother-in-law  of  mine  has  a  curacy.  There  I  spend 
a  week,  and  make  my  way  to  Canterbury  on  Saturday  to  read 
in  on  Sunday.  On  Easter  Monday  Mrs.  Lyall  leaves  the 
Deanery,  and  on  the  following  week  is  her  sale,  so  that  I 
shall  be  fairly  in  possession  in  May. 

''  This,  as  you  may  suppose,  has  suspended  the  Greek 
Testament,  but  I  hope  to  get  to  work  again  in  October  or 

before  with  redoubled  vigour.     Poor ^s  has   indeed 

been  a  melancholy  course.  We  must  now  be  expecting, 
almost  yearly  thinning  off;  and  indeed  one's  own  summons 
begins  to  assume  a  reality  in  the  future,  and  to  occupy  a 
place  in  one's  thoughts  which  it  never  did  before." 

The  following  letter,  written  about  the  same  time  to  his 
aged  aunt,  Mrs.  Freeman,  mentions  one  of  the  first  plans 
which  he  formed  to  increase  the  usefulness  of  his  new 
office : — ■ 

"  Upper  Hamilton  Terrace. 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  Lord  Palmerston 
has  offered  me  the  Deanery  of  Canterbury,  and  I  have  ac- 
cepted it.  I  have  every  reason  to  be  thankful  for  this  gracious 
arrangement,  for  my  work  here  was  getting  very  hard,  and 
I  must  soon  have  made  some  change;  whereas  now,  please 
God,  I  can  finish  my  Greek  Testament  with  much  more 
leisure  and  quiet.  There  is  much  to  be  done  at  Canterbury, 
At  present  the  Dean  only  preaches  three  times  a  year  ! — and 
there  is  but  one  sermon  each  Sunday.  My  first  care  will  be 
to  establish  an  afternoon  sermon,  which  I  shall  take  myself 
when  in  residence.  I  have  been  much  overdone  for  the  last 
few  weeks,  what  with  this  new  matter,  and  all  the  Lent  and 
Easter  work  coming  after  it. 

"  I  send  you  [vol.  vii.]  my  last  volume  of  Quebec  Sermons. 
I  have  not  printed  any  volume  in  which  I  have  had  more 


1857]  Letter  of  ArchbisJwp  Sumner.  271 

my  heart  and  my  prayers — may  God  bless  it^  and  may  it  be 
used  for  His  glory. 

''  Last  autumn  I  went  to  the  West,  to  attend  my  sister's 
funeral,  it  has  been  indeed  an  afflicting  and  mysterious  dis- 
pensation. Six  little  helpless  children  are  left  without  a 
mother.  Our  meeting  was  even  cheerful ;  it  seemed  as  if 
death  had  lost  its  sting  to  us  all :  may  it  prove  to  be  so  in 
the  hour  which  shall  try  us  all !" 

It  is  due  to  some  members  of  the  congregation  of  Quebec 
Chapel  to  say  that  a  proposal  was  made  by  them  for  present- 
ing some  kind  of  Testimonial  from  the  congregation  to  their 
Minister  on  his  removal.  But  it  came  accidentally  to  his 
knowledge  at  an  early  stage,  and  in  deference  to  an  ex- 
pression of  his  wishes,  the  proposal  was  abandoned. 

Among  the  numerous  letters  of  congratulation  which  he 
received,  perhaps  none  was  more  gratifying  to  him  than  the 
following  from  Archbishop  Sumner : — 

"  Lambeth,  March  9. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — I  did  not  venture  to  express  my  satis- 
faction at  your  appointment  to  Canterbury  till  I  had  ascer- 
tained the  fact  without  danger  of  writing  prematurely ;  but 
allow  me  now  to  add,  that  it  has  given  me  much  gratification 
to  know  that  you  are  to  be  the  head  of  my  Cathedral  Church, 
and  that  my  metropolis  is  to  have  the  advantage  of  your 
talents,  and  my  clergy  your  example. 

"  I  am,  my  dear  Sir,  very  faithfully  yours, 

"  J.  B.  Cantuar." 

His  old  acquaintance  the  Bishop  of  Ripon  (Dr.  Bickersteth) 
said  on  the  same  occasion  : — 

"  It  seems  the  very  post  for  which  you  are  fitted,  and  in 
the  occupation  of  it  abundant  leisure  will  be  afibrded  for 
the  prosecution  of  the  studies  which  you  pursue  with  so 
much  advantage  to  others.  May  God  bless  you  in  your 
new  sphere ! 

"  R.  Rtpon." 


2  72  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  VII. 

Mr.  (now  Bishop)  Ellicott  said  :  — 

"  You  have  indeed  borne  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day, 
and  borne  it  bravely,  and  now  comes  suitably  and  appro- 
priately your  present  reward/^ 

His  friend  and  old  pupil,  Mr.  W.  H.  Gurney,  wrote  :  — 

"It  is  delightful  to  think  of  you  in  a  place  you  are  so 
fitted  for ;  the  only  drawback  seems  to  be  that  you  will  have 
to  leave  London  and  give  up  Quebec  Chapel ;  however,  you 
have  done  a  great  work  there,  and  one  you  will  look  back 
upon  with  thankfulness  as  well  as  pleasure." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

1857-1860. 

Work  at  Canterbury — Tour  in  Germany — The  Evangelical 
Alliance  at  Berlin— Tour  in  the  West  of  Scotland- 
Visits  THE  West  of  England— Bishop  Mackenzie's  Fare- 
well Service  at  Canterbury— Last  Volume  of  the  Greek 
Testament. 

THE  new  duties  on  whicli  ho  now  entered  as  Dean  were 
very  different  from  the  daily  cares  of  a  pastor  of  a 
large  rural  parish,  and  from  the  excitements  which  belong  to 
the  life  of  a  minister  of  a  congregation  in  the  metropolis. 
Still  he  continued  to  apply  himself  to  those  Biblical  studies 
which  he  regarded  as  the  principal  work  assigned  to  him  by 
the  Great  Taskmaster,  amidst  other  duties  belonging  to  the 
positions  which  he  filled.  From  the  time  of  our  arrival  at 
Canterbury  he  began  to  attend  as  a  rule,  the  meetings  of 
the  Ecclesiastical  Commission  of  which  he  was  an  official 
member.  At  some  seasons  this  required  a  weekly  journey 
to  London ;  and  it  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  transacting 
many  matters  of  business  connected  with  his  various  occu- 
pations. Another  office,  which  also  belonged  to  his  position 
as  Dean,  was  perhaps  somewhat  more  congenial  to  his 
character.  He  was  an  official  member — indeed,  next  after 
the  Prolocutor,  the  senior  member — of  the  Lower  House  of 
Convocation  of  the  Province  of  Canterbury.  He  took  at  all 
times  an  interest  in  its  proceedings ;  and  on  such  occasions 
as  the  debate  on  the  Eevision  of  the  Authorized  Version  of 
the  Bible,  he  was  one  of  the  prominent  speakers. 


2  74  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  VIII. 

Two  brief  entries  from  iiis  journal  and  an  extract  from  a 
letter  to  his  wife  from  town^  whither  he  had  been  summoned 
to  preach  a  funeral  sermon,  afford  a  specimen  of  his  occupa- 
tion in  the  first  month  at  Canterbury. 

"July  13. — Cathedral  service  in  the  morning — nice  walk 
with  the  dear  girls  to  St.  Stephen's — glorious  weather ;  sat 
in  the  Deanery  garden  in  the  evening ;  what  shall  I  render 
to  the  Lord  for  all  His  mercies  to  me  ! 

'^  July  17. — Very  busy  arranging  my  library,  my  newly 
bound  books  are  come — settled  about  work  to  be  done  whilst 
we  are  away  on  our  German  tour — made  calls,  felt  low  and 
poorly,  but  how  wrong  in  me — got  some  iodine  for  my  hand, 
which  I  hurt  in  packing  my  books.'' 

To  ULS  Wife. 

"July  2Q. 

"  I  steal  a  few  moments  after  an  interesting  and  trying- 
day.  I  preached  from  John  xiv.  1 — 4.  I  did  not  prepare 
but  spoke  extempore,  and  was  enabled  to  do  so  with  effect, 
I  trust ;  at  least,  I  felt  very  much  what  I  said,  which  is,  I 
suppose,  the  best  test  of  preaching  with  effect. 

.  "  In  the  afternoon  I  went  to  Quebec  Chapel ;  how  natural 
the  ugly  old  place  looked;  I  felt  much  addressing  my  old 
flock,  and  spoke  to  them  about  their  old  minister. 

"  Jul  If  27. — What  would  you  like  by  way  of  sketch-book 
for  our  German  tour  ?  I  have  got  a  large  book,  and  a  little 
one  for  scraps.  I  have  one  brief  hour  to  rush  about,  getting 
the  passport  viseed  for  Austria,  Belgium,  Bavaria,  and 
France." 

For  some  time  past  we  had  felt  a  little  anxiety  about  the 
health  of  our  eldest  daughter :  and  this  led  him  to  effect  a 
costly  and  permanent  improvement  in  the  Deanery,  by 
laying  down  hot-water  pipes  on  each  storey. 

During  the  first  few  weeks  his  ordinary  studies  were 
partially  intermitted,  and  he  applied  himself  to  storing  his 
own  mind  and  his  children's  with  information  connected 
with  a  long  projected  Continental  tour,  in  which  he  designed 
to  visit  that  part  of  Germany  which  is  connected  with  most 


1857]  Bavaria.  275 

of  tlic  events  in  the  life  of  Martin  Luther,  to  increase  his 
knowledge  of  the  Continental  picture-galleries,  to  compare 
the  beauties  of  the  three  great  rivers — the  Ehine,  Danube, 
and  Elbe — and  to  be  present  at  the  conference  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Alliance,  which  was  held  this  year  at  Berlin.  His 
journal,  and  a  letter  to  his  brother,  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford,  record 
the  incidents  of  this  tour. 

"  August  3. — From  Canterbury  to  Valenciennes  through 
Calais  and  Lille.  To  Namur  and  Dinant,  sketched  the 
church  before  breakfast.     On  to  St.  Hubert  and  Luxemburg 

— long    reaches    of  road   bordered    by   poplars To 

St.  Gear,  up  the  Schweizerthal,  where  Fanny  and  I  walked 
up  twenty  years  ago.  To  Frankfort,  Bamberg,  and  Nurem- 
berg ;  saw  the  churches  with  more  pleasure  than  ever,  having 
my  three  dearest  ones  with  me;  here  we  spent  Sunday. 
Then  on  to  Stutgard  and  Munich,  where  we  saw  the 
Pinakothek  collections  and  the  Glyptotliek,  &c.  At  the 
Pinakothek  we  had  a  very  narrow  escape, — a  large  wooden 
shutter  fell  from  the  roof  on  the  spot  where  we  had  just  been 
standing;  thank  God  for  this. 

"  Next  day  we  saw  the  Bavarian  Statue,  and  had  a  drive 
in  the  English  garden — but  Mary  was  not  well,  and  we 
found  the  place  unhealthy,  as  Sir  Henry  Holland  had 
told  us.^' 

To  Me.  B.  H.  Alfged. 

"Munich,  August  23. 

"  Here  we  are  in  Munich,  and  a  wonderful  place  it  is ;  we 
went  from  Namur  to  Luxemburg  because  it  seemed  to 
promise  well;  and  Stanley  told  me  that  Luxemburg  was 
exceedingly  well  worth  seeing,  very  like  Jerusalem.  We 
got  to  Namur  by  rail,  thence  to  Dinant,  a  very  curious  place 
on  the  Meuse,  under  rocks ;  thence  by  voiture  to  St.  Hubert 
to  sleep,  in  the  middle  of  the  Forest  of  Ardennes,  most  inte- 
resting ;  thence  by  malle-'poste  to  Arlon,  next  day  to 
Dinant,  and  on  to  Luxemburg  by  carriage  in  the  evening, 
Next  morning  to  Treves ;  very  interesting,  glorious  Roman 
remains ;  the  Basilica,  now  a  Protestant  church,  and  Porta 
T  2 


276  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VIII. 

Nigra,  batlis.  Then,  alas!  no  water  in  the  Moselle;  five 
steamers  laid  up  at  the  old  Roman  bridge,  and  we  were 
forced  to  post  to  Coblentz.  Nuremberg  is  by  far  the  most 
interesting  place  I  have  ever  scou,  full  of  middle-age  remains, 
and  quaint  works  of  art.  The  house  of  Albert  Dui-er,  Hans 
Sachs,  Peter  Fischer,  Veit  Stoss,  Adam  Kraft,  &c.  Nearly 
all  the  people  are  Protestants.  We  heard  two  capital 
sermons  in  the  two  charming  old  churches  on  Sunday  last. 
Augsburg  is  a  quaint  old  place,  its  Confessional,  &c.  Then 
to  Ulm,  with  its  grand  and  vast  cathedral,  Protestant.  We 
went  then  to  Stutgard,  to  see  the  Von  Stadliugers,  and 
spent  two  very  pleasant  days  there,  and  came  on  here  last 
night.  To-day  we  have  seen  the  Glyptothek,  the  Pinako- 
thek,  and  I  know  not  what  besides.  If  you  ever  come  to 
this  part  of  Germany  don't  fail  to  mark  the  pictures  of 
Luther,  by  Lucas  Cranach,  with  their  dates.  I  have  already 
seen  four  all  dated,  they  form  four  most  interesting  com- 
ments on  his  history." 

Journal  [rout  in  tied). 

"After  Munich  we  went  to  Frabertsheim,  Berchtesgarten, 
and  Salzburg,  taking  on  our  way  the  Konigsee,  splendid 
morning,  the  Watzmann  most  grand  with  the  setting  tints 
on  it.  Made  several  sketches.  Here  last  in  1846,  with 
Holland  and  Wright;  to  Ischl,  and  across  the  Lake  to 
Hallstadt  for  Sunday,  and  then  on  to  Lintz  and 
Vienna. 

"  The  Danube  is  dull  after  Lintz,  but  it  becomes  soon 
beautiful  again,  flowing  through  deep  ravines,  with  several 
old  castles  on  the  heights.  At  Vienna  we  went  to  the 
Volksgarteu  and  heard  Strauss's  band,  a  most  curious 
sight,  and  such  gay  dresses.  We  saw  St.  Stephen's,  a 
grand  cathedral,  the  spire  surpasses  any  I  had  ever  seen. 
In  the  Imperial  vaults  we  saw  Maria  Theresa's  cofhn,  &c., 
&c.,  and  in  another  place  the  hearts  of  the  Emperors. 

"  We  spent  Sunday  at  Prague,  and  had  service  in  our  room. 
Afterwards  we  went    to   see    the    Hradschin^  and   saw. the 


1857]  Evangelical  Alliance  at  Berlin.  277 

tombs  of  the  Bohemian  Kings,  passing  over  the  wonder- 
fal  bridge. 

"  On  our  way  to  Dresden,  we  stopped  to  see  the  pretty 
district  called  the  Saxon  Switzei-land  ;  saw  the  Kuhestall, 
and  then  on  by  steamer  to  Dresden,  where  we  stayed  a  few 
days,  and  spent  many  hours  at  the  Gallery  looking  at  the 
glorious  pictures.  The  Madonna  del  Sisto  is  here,  also 
Correggio^s  Notte  and  several  clief-d'ocuvves ;  we  left  Dresden 
with  regret ;  at  Berlin  all  the  hotels  were  full,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  take  lodgings. 

"  On  12th  September,  we  went  to  the  Garrison  Church 
to  the  Conference,  we  had  an  account  of  Protestantism  in 
various  lands,  the  King,  Frederick  William  IV.,  was  there. 
Afterwards  I  went  to  a  gathering  of  German  members, 
and  met  Hoffman. 

"  8ept.  13,  Sunday. — At  nine  a.m.  we  all  went  to  the 
Hotel  de  Russie^  where  about  1 50  English  Christians  of  all 
denominations  received  the  communion  together;  no  form 
except  the  "reading  the  words  of  institution,  a  thing  I 
should  imagine  without  parallel  in  the  history  of  the 
Church. 

"  Sept.  14. — To  the  Picture-Gallery  with  the  Eardleys 
and  Dr.  Waagen. 

"  Sej)t.  15. — To  Charlottenburg,  and  then  to  the  Con- 
ference, and  in  the  evening  to  Sir  Culling  Eardley's  Jews' 
Meeting  at  their  hotel. 

"  Sept.  16. — Called  on  Bunsen,  and  had  a  long  talk 
about  the  Revision ;  then  to  the  Picture-Gallery  again, 
and  to  a  Concert  of  Sacred  Music  at  the  Cathedral  after- 
wards. 

"Sept.  17. — Last  day  at  Berlin;  we  all  went  to  hear 
the  end.  The  King  and  Queen  were  there.  I  gave  thanks 
to  the  King  and  the  Germans  on  behalf  of  the  English. 
The  hymn  at  the  end  was  very  fine.  Then  we  all  went 
to  a  Moravian  Church,  to  receive  the  Communion  together, 
most  interesting ;  the  words  were  said  in  three  languages. 

"Sept.  18. — To  Potsdam  and  on  to  Wittemberg,  to 
the  latter  place  with    many  English.      The    Hotel  was    so 


278  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  VIII. 

full^  we  were  obliged  to  sleep — Fanny  an-d  the  girls  iu 
the  salle^  and  I  in  the  billiard-room. 

"  Here  we  saw  Luther's,  Melancthon's,  and  the  Electors 
John  and  Frederick's  tombs;  then  we  went  to  Luther's 
house  and  saw  various  relics  of  him,  also  the  oak  which 
stands  where  he  burnt  the  Pope's  Bull. 

'^  At  Leipzig  they  were  preparing  for  the  fair  ;  we  drove 
to  see  the  field  of  battle. 

"At  Naumburg  is  a  remarkable  cathedral.  At  Erfurt 
Ave  saw  Luther's  cell,  and  where  he  went  through  all  his 
anguish  of  mind. 

"  We  took  a  guide  at  Eisenach  to  show  us  the  Wart- 
burg-,  which  we  got  to  in  a  carriage  up  a  wiiiding  steep 
path ;  a  most  striking  place. 

"  After  that  we  went  to  the  Anna  Thai,  a  deep  narrow 
glen,  mossy  and  cool,  hollowed  out  by  the  water,  quite 
unique  in  its  way;  then  through  the  narrow  Thai  and  back 
to  Eisenach,  and  from  thence  by  i^ail  to  Cassel.  Here  wo 
saw  in  their  gallery  some  fine  Eembrandts  and  Vandykes, 
and  went  to  see  Wilhelm.shohe,  where  are  artificial  rocks 
and  cascades,  and  all  sorts  of  princely  follies. 

'^  From  thence  we  went  to  Marburg  and  Weilburg,  and 
joined  the  Rhine  at  Coblentz,  and  on  to  Bonn  and  Cologne, 
where  we  found  the  cathedral  wonderfully  got  on  since  we 
last  saw  it. 

"  We  got  home  on  the  30th  by  Brussels." 

On  our  return  to  Canterbury,  we  found  that  the  act 
at  Berlin  had  been  the  subject  of  severe  censure  in  some 
I'eligious  papers,  and  had  created  considerable  distrust  in 
the  minds  of  many  friends  to  whom  he  was  sincerely 
attached. 

In  order  to  escape  misrepresentation  he  drew  up  a 
statement  of  the  facts  as  they  occurred;  and  subsequently 
he  wrote  an  explanatory  letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  (now 
Bishop)  Moberly,  both  whicli  are  here  inserted. 

"  Deanery,  Caiiterhury,  Oct.  2~>. 

"  I  have  set  down  the    following   particulars    respecting 


1857]  Evangelical  Alliance  at  Dcrliii.  279 

the  part  which  I  took  in  the  Sunday  Morning  Communion 
at  Berhn,  for  the  information  of  those  of  my  private  friends 
who  have,  made  inquiries  respecting  the  facts.  I  have 
felt  this  to  be  preferable,  on  many  accounts,  to  inserting 
any  statement  in  the  public  papers.  Such  statement  would 
be  sure  to  involve  me  in  controversy,  for  which  I  have 
neither  time  nor  inclination;  add  to  which  that  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  word  a  statement  so  carefully  as  to 
escape  all  possibility  of  misunderstanding  or  of  wresting  so 
as  to  be  misunderstood,  and  after  all  the  public  journal  is 
not  the  place  exactly  where  a  Christian  minister  should 
give  an  account  of,  or  vindicate  his  actions. 

"  The  facts  were  these :  it  had  been  announced  that  on 
Sunday,  September  13th,  at  nine,  the  English  Christian? 
present  at  Berlin  to  attend  the  Conference  would  receive 
the  Holy  Communion  together,  how,  or  at  what  hands, 
was  not  stated. 

''  I  and  my  family  went  as  recipients,  and  as  such  I  had 
taken  my  place  in  the  room  (the  large  saloon  in  the  Hotel  de 
Russie) .  After  a  few  minutes,  some  one  whom  I  did  not 
then  know,  asked  whether  I  would  assist  in  distributing  the 
elements,  adding  that  it  was  intended  merely  to  read  1  Cor.  xi. 
23 — 26,  and  distribute  the  bread  and  wine  in  silence — such 
being  the  only  ground  on  which  all  would  meet  in  the  cele- 
bration. To  the  granting  of  such  a  request  I  did  not,  and 
do  not  see,  that  my  position  in  the  Church  of  England  formed 
any  obstacle.  I  at  once  acceded,  and  when  the  time  came  I 
distributed  the  bread,  in  silence,  to  one  row  of  persons,  out 
of  the  four  into  which  the  assemblage  was  divided. 

"  I  do  not  expect  to  carry  all  my  friends'  approval  with  me, 
but  I  only  beg  them  to  believe  that  in  doing  what  I  did,  I 
was  actuated  by  no  leaning  whatever  towards  nonconformity, 
but  simply  by  a  conscientious  belief  that  we  are  not  justified 
in  refusing  to  communicate  with  any  who  are  believers  in 
the  Lord  Jesus.  The  occasion  was  altogether  of  an  excep- 
tional kind  :  the  method  adopted  was  the  only  practicable 
one  in  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  The  act  of  communion 
was  doubly  important,  seeing  that  the  high  Lutheran  pai-ty 


28o  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VIII. 

kept  aloof  from^  and  denounced  the  Conference  on  the  ground 
of  their  own  peculiar  sacramental  views.  It  was  repeated 
on  a  larger  basis  to  the  members  of  the  whole  Conference, 
German,  French,  Italian,  English,  and  others,  on  the  con- 
cludiug  evening.  I  was  there  also  present,  but  as  a  reci- 
pient only.  This  took  place  in  the  Moravian  Church  lent 
for  that  purpose. 

"  I  have  thus  stated  the  facts,  and  though  I  am  prepared 
if  necessary  to  vindicate  my  consistency  in  detail,  I  will  add 
no  more  at  present,  but  leave  my  statement  to  speak  for 
itself.^^ 

To  THE  Rev.  Dr.  Moberly. 

"With  regard  to  what  happened  at  Berlin,  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that,  had  I  borne  in  mind  the  wording  of 
the  27th  Canon',  I  should  have  hesitated  before  I  consented 
to  the  request  that  was  unexpectedly  made  to  me,  to  take 
part  in  the  distribution  of  the  elements.  I  will  also  add, 
that  had  I  known  the  pain  which  my  so  taking  part  would 
give  to  yourself  and  many  other  Christian  friends  whose 
judgment  I  highly  value,  I  should  have  declined  that  request, 
and  confined  myself  to  simple  participation;  for  by  this 
latter  the  principle  would  have  been  asserted,  which  I  con- 
sider myself  bound  to  maintain,  and  which  it  was  so  es- 
pecially important  to  vindicate  on  that  occasion,  viz.  that 
we  are  not  justified  in  refusing  Christian  communion  in  com- 
mon with  those  who  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
give  proof  of  loving  Him  in  sincerity." 

The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  a  letter  acknowledging 

a  presentation  copy  of  a  volume  of  sermons,  took  occasion 

to  express  his  opinion  on  the  whole  subject  in  the  following 

manner : — 

"  Addington,  Dec.  5. 

"  My  dear  Sir, — I  have  to  thank  you  for  the  now  Volume 
issued  from  your  prolific  pen,  and  cannot  help  feeling  glad 


1  "No  ministei',  when  lie  celebrateth  the  Comimmion,  shall  wittingly 
administer  the  same  to  any  but  to  such  as  kneel,  under  pain  of  suspension ; 
nor,  under  the  like  pain,  to  any  that  refuse  to  be  present  at  public  prayers 
according  to  the  orders  of  the  Church  of  England,"  &c.,  &c. 


1857]  Sermofi  on  All  Saints  Day.  281 

that  you  are  not  to  be  so  largely  drawn  upon  hereafter, 
though  I  see  no  signs  of  exhaustion  have  hitherto  appeared. 
"  1  must  take  this  opportunity  of  saying  how  much  I  have 
resented  the  bigotry  and  uncharitableness  which  the  Berlin 
communion  has  excited.  It  is  very  right  that  at  home  we 
should  keep  out  of  canon  shot,  but  widely  as  the  range  has 
been  extended  of  late  years,  I  never  before  heard  that  it 
could  be  stretched  across  the  Channel. 

"  Very  faithfully  yours, 

"  J.  B.  Cantuae." 

On  All  Saints^  Day  (Nov.  1)  when  the  cathedral  regula- 
tions require  the  Dean  to  perform  the  service,  he  began 
the  practice  of  intoning  his  part,  thus  using  his  peculiarly 
clear  and  musical  voice  in  the  service  of  Him  who  gave  it. 
On  the  same  day  he  preached  a  sermon,  "  The  great  multi- 
tude which  no  man  can  number,^^  which  is  sometimes 
spoken  of  as  one  of  the  most  eloquent  of  his  compositions ", 
ending  with  these  personal  remarks.  "  And  now,  brethren, 
still  keeping  our  eyes  on  that  glorious  and  triumphant 
multitude,  let  us  ask  ourselves  how  it  stands  with  us  here 
present,  as  to  our  hope,  our  claim,  one  day  to  be  among 
them.  And  first  it  is  an  individual  matter  of  which  I 
speak.  Many  are  its  relations,  wide-spreading  its  duties 
and  its  influences ;  but  in  its  issue  evexy  one  of  us  stands 
alone.  Alone  must  we  wage  God^s  battles  in  our  inmost 
soul ;  alone  must  we  repent  and  seek  for  grace ;  alone  must 
we  die ;  and  every  one  of  us  must  give  an  account  of 
himself  to  God.  'No  man  may  deliver  his  brother,  nor 
make  agreement  unto  God  for  him  :  for  it  cost  more  to 
redeem  their  souls ;  so  that  he  must  let  that  alone  for  ever, 
yea,  though  he  live  long,  and  see  not  the  grave.''  Let 
the  question  then  be  put  hy  each  one  of  us,  be  put  to  each 
one  of  us.  My  brother,  my  sister,  art  thou  in  the  way  to 
join  this  blessed  company  ?     Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son 


It  was  printed  separately, 


2  82  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VIII. 

of  God  ?  I  mean  not  as  a  fact  in  history,  convincing  tliy 
niind,  falling  short  of  thy  heart :  but  I  mean  as  thine  own 
personal  Saviour  and  Master,  and  atonement  before  God  ? 
Hast  thou  taken  by  faith  of  that  blood  of  His,  which  in 
symbol  was  sprinkled  on  thee  on  thy  baptism,  and  hast 
thou  with  thy  will  and  with  thy  might  sprinkled  it  anew 
on  thy  soul,  trusting  to  it  for  forgiveness,  for  acceptance  ; 
standing  in  its  power  before  God,  and  in  its  power  pleasing 
God— growing  in  grace  and  doing  battle  for  God  day  by 
day  ?  Art  thou  cleansing  thy  robe  in  that  blood  ?  Art 
thou  becoming  more  holy,  more  pure,  more  useful,  a  brighter 
example  indeed,  in  word,  in  temper  ?  0  search  and  see. 
If  this  be  not  so,  then  is  thy  faith  dead,  bearing  no  fruits  : 
if  it  be  not  so,  take  heed  that  thou  be  not  accounting  the 
blood  of  the  covenant  wherewith  thou  wast  sanctified  an 
unholy  thing ;  take  heed  that  thou  be  not  doing  despite 
to  the  spirit  of  grace.  O  brethren,  I  deeply  feel  that,  as 
it  is  a  very  solemn  thing  for  any  man  to  search  himself 
with  these  questions,  so  it  is  a  still  more  solemn  thing  for 
us  of  this  cathedral  body,  dwelling  as  we  do  in  the  midst 
of  the  full  privilege  of  daily  Christian  worship,  of  weekly 
participation  of  the  Supper  of  the  Lord.  On  us,  my  reverend 
brethren,  as  leading  the  baud ;  on  you,  who  are  privileged 
by  your  calling  to  sound  the  high  praises  of  God  in  this 
stately  temple ;  yea,  even  on  the  youngest  and  least .  who 
daily  lifts  up  his  voice  in  that  choir,  and  on  the  members 
of  our  families  who  assemble  here,  and  the  very  door-keepers 
in  the  house  of  God,  on  all  and  each  of  us  will  the  account 
fall  heavy  indeed,  if  our  daily  worship  becomes  a  dead  form 
to  us,  our  sacred  duties  mere  routine ;  nay,  if  we  learn  not, 
believe  not,  practise  not,  more  and  better  than  others.  If 
our  place  be  not  higher  than  theirs,  assuredly  it  must  be 
far  lower ;  for  to  whom  much  is  given,  of  them  will  much 
be  required.  Let  us  not  shrink  from  the  lot  of  all  God's 
people  nor  refuse  God's  own  way  to  His  kingdom  of  glory. 
Each  one  for  himself,  young  and  old,  high  and  low,  must 
repent  and  believe ;  for  each  tbere  is  but  one  way  of 
pardon  and  acceptance,  but  one  admission  to  that  trium- 


1857]  Work  at  Canterbury.  283 

phant  company.  That  way  and  that  admission  is  rightoous- 
ness ;  not  our  own^  but  the  Lord's ;  put  on  us  by  faith  in 
Him,  wrought  in  us  by  obedience  to  Him/' 

When  Christmas  came  he  gave  a,  children's  party,  which 
afterwards  developed  into  an  annual  entertainment  at  the 
Deanery  to  the  choristers  and  other  young  people,  where 
he  always  contributed  by  his  own  exertions  the  largest 
portion  of  the  evening's  amusement. 

A  little  before  Christmas,  in  a  letter  in  which  he  invites 
his  friend  the  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan  to  pay  him  a  visit,  he 
describes  his  way  of  life  at  Canterbury : 

To  THE  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan. 

"  Deanery,  Dec.  4. 

"  I  live  in  hopes  that  we  may  prevail  on  you  to  bring  all 
your  family  here  some  day,  to  see  us  in  our  new  and 
somewhat  capacious  abode.  This  climate  is  peculiar,  quite 
sui  genesis,  moist,  but  with  very  little  rain,  mild  but  not 
relaxing ;  we  read  now  for  instance  of  frost  and  snow  in 
some  parts  of  England,  here  we  have  had  none,  and  our 
nasturtiums  and  calceolarias  are  still  in  full  bloom. 

"  You  wish  to  know  about  our  proceedings.  We  returned 
from  Germany,  where  we  made  the  complete  round,  seeing 
all  the  great  cities  except  the  northern  ones  of  Dantzic  and 
Hamburg,  about  October  1.  We  had  the  good  Archbishop 
with  us  for  a  week,  and  since  then  we  have  been  busily 
employed,  I  at  my  book,  working  at  the  Hebrews.  I  find 
this  a  very  good  place  for  work,  interruptions  are  very  few, 
and  one's  head  is  clear  and  fit  for  grappling  with  tough  ques- 
tions in  a  way  which  it  never  was  in  London.  But  with  all 
this  advantage,  I  am  now  only  just  concluding  Hebrews  vii.; 
it  is  a  vcrhosa  et  grandis  Ejpistula,  and  Bleek  has  done  it  so 
thoroughly,  that  to  do  much  less  than  he  has  done  seems 
like  shirking  the  work. 

"  You  will  be  interested  to  hear,  that  after  having  long 
fought  the  battle  of  the  afternoon  sermon,  I  have  to-day 
carried  it.  I  hope  when  once  begun  it  may  become  an 
institution  e?  aet." 


284  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VI  H. 

He  writes  in  the  beo-iiiniuw  of  1858  : — 

"  Jan.  2. — If  other  years  have  all  begun  with  mercies,  what 
shall  I  say  of  this  one  ?  of  this  at  the  opening  of  which  I  find 
myself  in  the  possession  of  that  which  I  have  so  long  wished 
and  prayed  for,  a  place  of  rest,  where  I  may  in  peace  and  free 
from  distracting  occupations  complete  my  work  on  God^s 
word.  He  has,  indeed,  been  very  gracious  to  me,  and  I  only 
hope  I  may  ever  bear  in  mind  my  increasing  obligation  to 
devote  myself  in  all  simplicity  and  eai'nestness  to  His  work. 

"  I  am  now  in  the  Hebrews,  chapter  ix.,  having  been 
interrupted  half  a  year  by  the  event  which  brought  me  here. 
Several  interruptions  are  before  me.  I  preach  at  Cambridge 
in  February.  I  am,  thank  God,  in  good  order  for  work, 
and  days  here  are  for  the  most  part  uninterrupted  days. 
This  spring  I  hope  good  progress  will  be  made  in  my  work. 
My  Cathedral  sermon  begins  at  Easter :  '  0  praise  the  Lord, 
O  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me,  praise  His  holy 
name.' '' 

The  year  was  not  eventful.  His  journal  records  a  brief 
visit  to  London. 

''  Jan.  25. — Princess  Eoyal  married  to  Prince  Frederick 
of  Prussia.  After  the  morning  service  in  the  Cathedral, 
Canterbury,  I  went  off  to  London  and  saw  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  leave  Buckingham  Palace  for  Windsor;  God 
bless  them !  then  went  to  Sir  C.  Eardley's.  Next  day 
lectured  at  Exeter  Hall  '  On  Pulpit  Eloquence  of  the 
Seventeenth  Century.'  " 

In  the  next  month  he  went  to  Cambridge,  to  preach  at 
St.  Mary's  a  course  of  four  sermons  on  the  "  Parable  of  the 
Sower,"  which  was  published  in  a  small  volume.  He  was 
the  guest  of  Dr.  Whewell,  then  Master  of  Trinity,  whom 
he  thus  mentions  in  a  letter  : — 

"  The  Master  and  I  breakfast  every  day  tete-a-tete.  I  have 
only  to  start  a  subject,  and  olf  he  goes  for  five  minutes,  till 
he  has  said  all  he  has  to  say,  and  then  I  start  another." 

In  the  course  of  his  sojourn  at  Cambridge  he  visited  a 
place  with  which  lie  had  been  very  familial',  Ampton  Rectory, 
he  says  : — 


1S5S]  Preaciiing  at  Canterbury.  285 

"  Feh.  20.-^Slepfc  in  my  old  room,  went  to  see  the  clerk's 

wife,    aged    ninety !     The    schoolmaster   and  his    wife    arc 

both  dead;  walked  to  the  Wadgate  cottages,  and  through 

all  the  old  haunts. 

"  Years  upon  years  have  fled,  and  once  again  * 

I  tread  these  long  accustomed  paths ;  yon  screen 
Of  leaf-deserted  limes,  as  heretofore, 
Veils  the  keen  starlight  :  as  before  the  clock 
Tells  with  shrill  note  the  warning  of  the  hours. 
But  where  are  they  whose  faces  lit  this  home. 
Whose  tones  yet  vibrate,  turn  where'er  I  will  ? 
Where  all  the  flock  whose  steps  my  youthful  stafl" 
Essay'd  to  guide  ?  cold,  cold,  and  silent  all. 
Some  here,  some  laid  afar,  where  western  gales 
Temper  this  freezing  air.     Thou  solemn  court 
Of  God's  own  Temple,  paved  with  heaving  graves." 

He  also  visited  friends  in  Leicestershire  and  Norfolk,  and 
returned  to  Canterbury  on  March  1st.  Here  he  began  on 
April  11th  the  practice,  which  he  took  so  much  pains  to 
establish,  of  preaching  in  the  Cathedral  on  Sunday  after- 
noon. An  incident  which  occurred  after  the  second  of  these 
services,  affords  an  instance  of  the  facility  with  which  he 
could  preach  an  extemporary  sermon. 

"%idj  Sunday  after  Easter,  April  18. — In  the  afternoon 
concluded  my  History  of  Balaam.  Whilst  walking  in  the 
nave  of  the  Cathedral  with  the  girls,  I  was  summoned  by  a 
messenger  from  Mr.  Lee  Warner's  people  to  say  by  some 
accident  they  were  waiting  in  the  church,  but  no  clergyman 
came.  Harrison  and  I  went  immediately.  He  read  prayers, 
and  I  preached ;  but,  finding  no  Bible  or  Prayer  Book  in  the 
pulpit,  I  gave  out  my  text — 1  Peter  ii.  last  verse — being 
the  Epistle  for  the  day." 

The  following  letter,  written  in  May,  to  his  friend 
Dr.  Merivale,  gives  a  good  insight  into  his  occupations  : — 

"  Deanerrj,  May  3. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  promise  of  a  new  volume,  I  hope 
you  may  live  to  give  us  several  more.  I  always  remember 
Milton,  who  began  'Paradise  Lost'  at  fifty,  and  blind. 
I  cannot  be  at  the  Literary  Fund,  having  an  engagement 
at  Canterbury  that  evening;  but  I  come  up  next  morning, 
and  give  the  first  of  four  lectures  at  Queen's  College  on  the 


286  Life  of  Dca7i  Alford.  [Chap.  VIII. 

Greek  Drama.  I  shall  be  to  be  heard  of  at  the  Athcuooiiiii 
between  ten  and  one. 

"  In  the  evenhig  I  return  to  Canterbury.  1  suppose  you 
have  heard  of  our  vacant  canonry '.  The  appointment  which 
was  made  was  much  to  Lord  Derby's  credit.  Chesshyre  is 
the  best  clergyman  in  Canterbury,  and  has  been  the  means 
of  rebuilding  several  churches  and  stimulating  charities 
all  over  the  city;  his  health,  poor  man,  is  the  one  draw- 
back. 

"  We  have  now  got  the  afternoon  sermon  in  the  Cathedral 
fairly  launched. 

'^  As  to  plans,  we  go  to  to^vn  for  a  week,  then  to  Somerset- 
shire. As  soon  as  the  Trinity  Examination  is  over,  my 
brother  joins  me  in  the  West,  and  we  both  of  us  go  to  the 
Land's  End^  We  return  to  Canterbury  on  the  24th  June 
for  our  Midsummer  audit.  I  find  the  place  agree  with  us 
very  well,  I  am  much  better  than  in  London.  My  work 
goes  on  steadily ;  I  finished  the  Hebrews  last  week,  and  am 
now  well  in  St.  James ;  I  hope  I  may  get  to  the  beginning 
of  the  Apocalypse  by  Christmas,  and  then  I  shall  go  to 
press,  leaving  next  year  for  the  joint  work  of  the  Apocalypse 
and  printing.'^ 

This  summer  the  Archreological  Society  held  a  meeting  at 
Canterbury,  and  on  this  occasion,  as  well  as  on  another  which 
soon  followed,  the  meeting  of  the  Diocesan  Society,  he  was 
enabled  to  contribute  materially  to  the  hospitable  reception 
of  visitors  by  entertainments  at  the  Deanery. 

Bishop  Cotton,  of  Calcutta,  also  visited  Canterbuiy,  and 
the  last  Sunday  he  was  in  England  was  spent  there,  before 
embarking  for  his  diocese. 

Many  improvements  were  made  this  autumn  in  the  garden. 
On  the  top  of  the  massive  old  city  wall,  which  bounded  one 
side  of  it,  a  pleasant  grape-walk  was  constructed,  and  a  con- 
servatory and  hot-house  were  built. 


3  Vacant  by  tlio  transfer  of  the  Kev.  A.  P.  Stanley  to  Oxford  as  Canon  of 
Christ  Church  and  Regius  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History. 

•1  Whilst  the  Dean  was  on  this  tour,  he  returned  to  Canterbury  evciy 
Saturday  in  order  to  preach  the  afternoon  sermon  on  each  Sunday. 


1859]  Literary  Work.  287 

The  autumn  was  also  marked  by  our  first  visit  to  Areh- 
bisliop  Sumner,  then  a  hale  old  man  of  eighty,  at  Addington. 

His  reflections  at  the  close  of  the  year  are  : — 

''  This  has  been  my  first  full  year  at  my  Deanery.  I  hope 
something  has  been  done,  but  it  is  indeed  trifling  in  com- 
parison with  what  remains.  The  afternoon  sermon  has 
been-  established,  and,  as  far  as  attendance  goes,  is  suc- 
cessful. Would  that  it  may  have  produced  some  eSect  for 
good !  I  and  mine  have,  thank  God,  been  preserved  in 
safety  and  comparative  health ;  but  I  am  much  troubled  by 
flutteriugs  and  occasional  palpitations,  and  I  cannot  exert 
myself  without  bringing  it  on. 

'^  As  to  my  work,  I  have  this  day  sent  to  press  the  first 
sheets  of  Vol.  iv.  I  have  written  during  the  year  upwards 
of  400  pages  of  notes,  from  the  middle  of  Hebrews  to  the 
end  of  Jude.  I  am  engaged  in  a  new  edition  of  Vol.  i.  with 
my  secretary  Grafton ;  and  Hake,  my  other  secretary,  corrects 
the  press.  I  am  engaged  in  Dr.  Smith's  "  Biblical  Dic- 
tionary,'' and  in  revising  with  my  four  colleagues.  During 
this  year  we  have  done  and  published  the  Corinthians,  and 
are  now  engaged  in  Galatians.  On  the  whole,  need  I  say 
that  it  has  been  a  year  of  mercies  ?  God  is,  I  hope,  clearing 
the  way  before  me  here  to  do  much  good  in  course  of 
time :  the  limit  at  present  seems  to  be  my  own  physical 
strength." 

The  next  entry  in  his  journal  refers  to  a  project  which 
was  never  carried  into  efiect : — • 

"  Talking  over  with  my  dear  ones  the  plan  of  a  special 
evening  service  on  Fridays  in  the  nave  of  the  cathe- 
dral." 

In  1859  he  was  occupied  in  seeing  through  the  press  the 
First  Part  of  Vol.  iv.  of  the  Greek  Testament,  and  in  com- 
posing the  Second  Part.  He  visited  London  to  confer  with 
his  colleagues  in  the  revision  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans,  and  also  to  preach  at  Westminster 
Abbey,  Whitehall,  and  St.  Paul's.  He  also  visited  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  at  Lambeth,  as  appears  from  the  date 
of  the  following  entry  in  his  journal : — 


288  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VIII. 

"  Lamhetli,  Sexagenima. — Assisted  the  Arclibisliop  in  tlic 
Communion  service,  and  in  laying  hands  on  the  priests. 

"^  At  seven  to  St.  Paul's,  where  I  preached  on  the  Gospel.  The 
people,  I  saw,  could  not  hear  me  at  first,  and  were  leaving ; 
then  I  half  shouted  and  half  intoned,  it  seemed,  to  half  the 
human  race :  most  striking  sight,  and  opportunity  for  good. 
May  God  bless  what  I  said  !  " 

This  spring  he  went  to  Oxford  and  Cambridge  to  preach, 
taking  his  Doctor's  degree  at  Cambridge.  His  favourite 
recreation  at  this  time  was  sketching.  Having  previously 
received  a  few  lessons  from  Mr.  Leitch,  he  made  some  con- 
siderable progress  by  his  own  unaided  and  persevering 
efforts  ;  and,  as  we  shall  see,  he  subsequently  received  in- 
struction from  Mr.  Burrell  Smith. 

Two  poems  came  from  his  pen :  the  first  entitled  "  How 
we  buried  him''  ("  Poems,"  p.  267),  commemorating  the 
Eev.  J.  W,  Chesshyre,  the  recently-appointed  Canon.  The 
Dean  visited  him  repeatedly  in  his  sickness,  and  when  death 
released  him  from  his  sufierings  preached  a  sermon  on 
February  6th  in  his  memory,  and  two  days  afterwards  offi- 
ciated at  his  funeral  in  St.  Martin's  churchyard.  The  lines 
dedicated  to  the  memory  of  our  son  Ambrose  [Filio  Desidera- 
tlssimo,  "  Poems,"  p.  332)  were  now  written,  and  on  May  7th 
his  journal  records  that  the  two  memorial  windows  to  our 
two  darling  boys,  Ambrose  and  Clement,  were  put  up  in  the 
south  transept  of  Cantei-bury  Cathedral. 

His  brother,  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford,  was  at  this  time  travelling 
with  his  mother  on  the  Continent;  and  from  Rome  he  sent  to 
Canterbury  an  interesting  account  of  his  tour,  and  (what  was 
certainly  not  less  valued)  the  notes  of  a  collation  of  certain 
texts  in  the  ancient  Vatican  manuscript,  known  to  scholars 
as  B.     The  two  following  letters  were  written  to  him  by  the 

Dean : — 

"Deanery,  Canterbury,  April  13. 

''  Many  thanks  for  your  letters,  which  we  have  read  with 
great  interest.  I  especially  followed  you  about  the  glorious 
old  place  as  well  as  my  '  demissa  per  aures'  will  keep  up 
with  your  '  ocuiis  suhjeda  Jidelibus'  at  every  step.    All  the 


1859]  Collation  of  the  Vatican  Codex,  289 

bad  passions  connected  with  envy  come  boiling  up  in  me.  I 
especially  envied  you  that  day's  walk  about  the  Mons  Sacer 
and  its  neighbourhood. 

"  We  are  all  especially  anxious  about  war,  which  some  say 
is  inevitable ;  while  others,  again,  do  not  believe  in  it.  To-day 
is  a  little  more  pacific  in  the  Times,  Austria  seeming  to  come 
into  the  Congress  idea;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  an- 
nounced that  our  troops  which  were  going  to  India  are 
countermanded,  which  d<_;es  not  look  well.  I  hope  you  will 
escape  it  all,  and  indeed  we  too  :  it  would  be  a  horrible  thing 
in  Europe  just  now.  My  best  love  to  La  Madre.  What  a 
treasure  you  must  find  her  historical  knowledge  ! 

"May  27. — A  thousand  thanks  for  the  MS.,  which  arrived 
safe,  and  just  in  time  to  be  used  for  the  sheet  containing  the 
passage.  Only  fancy,  it  is  the  fifth  century,  and  I  fear  must 
decide  the  fate  of  verses  43,  44  of  Luke  xxii.  I  will  not  fail 
to  write  as  soon  as  the  rest  arrives.  Permission  seems  to  be 
easier  than  it  once  was,  for  Tregelles  says  in  his  letter  he 
supposes  it  will  be  impossible  to  get  leave  to  collate.  It  is 
said  that  Tischendorf  has  discovered  in  the  Mount  Sinai  Con- 
vent an  entire  copy  of  the  Scriptures  (Greek)  of  the  fourth 
century.    What  a  revolution  it  will  work  in  our  critical  texts  ! 

"  Your  journals  and  letters  have  much  interested  us.  I 
only  wish  I  were  with  you.  I  suppose  now  I  shall  never  see 
Rome.  Fighting  seems  now  to  have  begun  in  earnest.  Of 
course,  you  have  heard  of  Montebello,  and  our  last  accounts 
say  that  firing  was  going  on  when  they  left ;  so  we  shall 
probably  hear  soon  of  a  battle.  Are  you  as  much  enraptured 
with  Naples  as  every  one  else  ?  I  seem  to  know  every  bit  of 
it  from  my  father's  journal,  which  I  used  to  study  as  a  boy. 

"  Our  Chapter  is  reduced  to  the  smallest  possible  state  of 
decrepitude.  For  the  next  few  Sundays  all  rests  upon  me, 
the  two  sermons  and  everything." 

The  months  of  July  and  August  were  spent  in  a  family 
tour,  in  which  the  west  of  Scotland  was  our  principal  object, 
and  several  cathedrals  were  visited  in  the  way.  A  letter  to 
his  friend,  the  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan,  and  a  few  extracts  from 
his  journal,  will  describe  this  :  — 


290  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  VIII. 

"  After  a  long  year  of  work  Biblical  and  homiletical,  we 
are  off  at  the  end  of  this  month  (D.V.)  for  six  weeks  to 
Scotland,  making  one  week  of  cathedrals  by  our  way.  I 
have  been  working  very  hard  of  late,  and  feel  the  want  of 
a  holiday.  I  find  it  difiicult  to  get  away  here,  especially  in 
the  crippled  state  of  the  Chapter,  four  out  of  six  of  our 
canons  being  away  ill.  I  have  just  now  the  whole  cathedral 
duty  upon  me,  five  sermons  in  eight  days.''^ 

Extracts  from  Journal. 

"  Juhj  11. — Awfully  hot,  90°  in  shade;  off  to  Ely,  cal- 
cined, GOOO  excursionists  added  fuel  at  Shoredit-ch  Station ; 
to  Thompson's  [now  Master  of  Trinity],  where,  met  at 
dinner  the  Dean,  Mrs.  Goodwin,  and  Mrs.  Peacock:  service 
on  the  whole  good.     At  twelve  to  Norwich. 

''  July  13. — By  Lynn  to  the  Deanery,  Peterborough,  Dean 
Saunders  and  large  family  most  kind ;  service  very  passably 
done,  precincts  very  nice. 

"  July  14. — To  Lincoln  by  Boston,  Jeremie  [late  Dean  of 
Lincoln]  had  us  to  breakfast,  lunch,  and  dinner,  and  had 
expected  us.  Service  good,  Mendelssohn's  Te  Deum.  We 
went  round  the  cathedral  by  moonlight. 

"July  10. — By  Eetford  to  York,  three  hours  there,  then 
on  to  Durham :  disappointed  with  the  outside  of  the  cathe- 
dral, but  glorious  in  situation,  most  glorious. 

"July  17. — Sunday  service  very  nicely  done:  dined  with 
the  old  Bishop  of  Exeter  [Canon  in  residence],  who  v/as 
most  kind  *  and  pleasant. 

"  July  18. — Left  Durham  at  five.  To  Berwick,  then  on  to 
Melrose  and  saw  the  abbey  ;  Abbotsford  and  Dryburgh,  and 
on  to  Edinburgh  in  the  evening. 

"July  20. — Left  Edinburgh  amid  mist  and  rain,  by 
Stirling  to  Dunfermline ;  then  to  Kinross,  and  in  a  boat  on 
Lochleven,  and  saw  and  sketched  the  castle  and  Queen 
Mary's  rooms. 


3  See  p.  91. 


1859]  Scotland.  291 

"  Juhj  21. — At  twelve  reached  St.  Andrew^s ;  out  to  see  the 
ruins  immediately^  and  after  dinner  began  sketching  a  part 
of  the  cathedi'al ;  very  noble  and  striking ;  most  interesting 
place. 

"July  22, — Sketching  before  breakfast,,  and  at  eleven  to 
Aberdeen  ;  a  fine  city,  but  by  reason  of  the  uniform  granite 
without  any  light  or  shade,  very  monotonous  and  unin- 
teresting. 

"July  23. — By  rail  to  Keith,  Elgin,  and  Inverness,  where 
spent  our  Sunday. 

"July  24. — Very  simple  service  and  fair  sermon  both 
times ;  thought  of  my  flock  at  Canterbury. 

"July  25. — Up  at  half-past  five  to  go  by  steamer  on  the 
Caledonian  Canal  to  Invermoriston.  First  saw  the  Falls  of 
Foyers ;  very  little  water,  but  very  fine  situation.  Landed 
and  found  we  could  not  go  on  to-day.  Sketched  some  falls 
at  a  bridge  and  lost  my  sketching  umbrella ;  it  was  blown 
into  the  stream. 

"July  26. — Off  for  Cluny  Inn  in  an  open  phaeton  driven 
by  the  landlord,  rain  part  of  the  way;  most  beautiful  drive, 
never  saw  such  colours  or  mountains,  took  several  sketches. 

"July  27. — Most  blustering  night;  our  inn  a  very  homely 
little  place,  the  only  house  for  miles,  and  mountains  all 
round  it;  we  started  in  rain  but  it  cleared  off  when  we 
reached  Shell  Inn,  and  we  got  a  lovely  view  of  Loch  Duich, 
thence  crossing  Dornie  Ferry  to  Balmacarra  oj)posite  the 
Island  of  Skye. 

"July  28. — Off  in  a  phaeton  to  Sti-ome  Ferry,  very  beau- 
tiful ;  nice  view  of  Loch  Duich ;  fine  but  somewhat  dreary 
drive  to  Auchnasheen,  past  several  lochs,  then  by  two  nice 
locks  to  Loch  Maree. 

"July  29. — Drew  before  breakfast;  weather  improving, 
in  a  dog-cart  on  the  south  shore  of  the  lake,  most  lovely 
in  every  point  of  view,  whether  as  seen  from  Kinlochewe, 
with  its  many  promontories,  and  one  of  its  islands,  or  from 
any  part  of  the  eleven  miles  of  coast ;  the  south  side  contains 
almost  every  variety  of  shore  scenery,  now  clothed  to  the 
water  with  birch-wood,  now  like  the  Trosachs  or  Undercliff, 
u  2 


292  Life  of  Dea7i  Alfo7'd.  [Chap.  VIIl. 

now  rocky  witli  the  remains  of  the  primeval  pine  forest 
perched  on  all  the  heights,  now  grassy,  now  a  bare  arid 
waste  of  jumbled  rocks  and  banks  of  blossoming  heather 
and  heath.  The  islands  are  very  beautiful  on  this"  loch.  I 
should  like  to  come  with  Burrell  Smith  for  a  few  days  and 
sketch  all  day. 

"July  30. — Got  to  Jean  Town,  where  we  spend  Sunday; 
a  most  lovely  day  for  crossing  Loch  Torridon,  but  we  were 
weather  bound  at  Jean  Town. 

"Aug.  2. — Then  to  Kyle  Akin  and  across  to  Skye,  where 
weather  again  persecuted  us. 

"Aug.  3. — We  went  from  Sligachan  in  rain,  and  over  the 
Cuchullin  Hills  to  Loch  Cornisk. 

"  Aug.  6. — Saturday,  from  Portree  we  set  off  in  a  dog-cart 
for  Quiraing;  very  tedious  ride,  horrid  road;  tremendous 
climb  at  Quiraing,  but  very  striking  place,  gigantic  columns ; 
saw  the  coast  opposite  as  far  as  Cape  Wrath. 

"Aug.  7. — Sunday  at  Portree,  witnessed  a  most  curious 
sight,  the  Free  Kirk  Sacrament,  2000  persons  sitting  all 
day  in  a  field  opposite  our  window.  We  had  our  service, 
after  a  nice  walk  and  talk,  under  a  rock  overlooking  the 
Bay  of  Portree. 

"  Wo  had  a  cahn,  pleasant  day  to  go  by  steamer  from 
Skye  to  Oban,  but  a  most  unfortunate  day  (11th),  for  our 
expedition  to  lona  and  Staffa.  It  was  so  rough  we  could 
not  land  at  Staffa,  but  the  captain  to  compensate  took  us 
round  the  island.  At  lona  more  and  better  ruins  than  I 
had  imagined,  and  most  interesting ;  after  a  good  deal  of 
the  Atlantic  roll,  got  into  smooth  water  in  the  Sound  of 
Mull,  fine  evening,  wrote  and  drevv^. 

"Aug.  12. — From  Oban  by  Crinan  Canal  (such  part  as 
is  not  destroyed),  by  Kyles  of  Bute  to  Glasgow,  fine  city 
and  most  beautiful  cathedral,  crypt  first  rate.  On  Sunday 
streets  densely  crowded ;  a.m.  we  went  to  Caird's  Church, 
an  energetic  preacher. 

"  Aug.\h. — For  four  days  to  Arran,  but  such  wretched 
weather;  however,  I  managed  to  sketch  the  fallen  rocks. 
Glen  Sannox,  &c.     We  got  home  by  Carlisle,  Hereford,  and 


1859]  Representatio7i  of  St.  Mildred.  293 

Gloucester,  seeing  each  catliedi'al  and  attending  the  service 
in  each," 

Soon  after  our  return  he  was  engaged  in  a  correspondence 
with  a  gentleman  whose  indignation  was  excited  by  a  figure 
of  St.  Mildred,  introduced  in  a  stained-glass  window  which 
had  been  recently  placed  in  the  Cathedral, 

The  following  reply  to  the  objector  is  here  printed,  partly 
because  it  may  gratify  some  readers  to  know  how  highly 
the  Dean  appreciated  the  employment  of  artistic  skill  in 
beautifying  the  House  of  God,  and  in  appealing  to  religious 
feelings : — 

"Sejpi.  11.  . 

'^  Will  you  allow  me  to  suggest  that  one  link  is  wanting 
in  your  remark  ?  You  infer  that  because  we  in  a  series  of  his- 
torical windows  introduce  the  figure  of  Mildred,  we  therefore 
accredit  her  fictitious  miracles,  surely  this  will  at  once  appear 
to  you  on  reflection  to  be  unreasonable,  I  may  say,  in 
answer,  that  I  do  not  see  any  reason  why  characters  his- 
torically connected  with  our  Church  and  land  should  not  be 
commemorated  in  our  Cathedral,  whatever  fables  the  Papists 
may  have  chosen  to  attach  to  their  names.  You  will  infer 
from  this  there  is  no  intention  of  altering  the  windows  in 
question.  One  word  in  your  letter  induces  me  to  trouble 
you  with  a  line  without  loss  of  time.  You  speak  of  '  Public 
Correspondence.''  I  hope  I  am  not  to  understand  by  this 
that  you  intend  to  publish  what  has  passed  between  us. 
While  ready  at  all  proper  times,  and  to  proper  persons,  to 
give  full  account  of  all  I  do  and  say,  I  must  distinctly  with- 
hold my  consent  to  the  publication  of  letters  written  by  me 
in  a  private  capacity.  In  my  opinion,  one  of  the  reasons 
which  has  contributed  as  much  as  any  to  the  mischief  which 
you  wish  to  prevent,  has  been  the  unhappy  thirst  of  notoriety 
fostered  by  a  half-educated  press,  which  has  induced  every 
one  who  has  a  say  to  say,  to  rush  into  the  provincial  papers 
with  his  ex-parte  statement.  With  regard  to  the  matter 
itself,  I  regret  that  I  cannot  take  your  view  of  it.  It  seems 
to  me,  and  I  speak  not  vaguely,  but  from  much  experience 
in    this    unhappy    matter,   that   exaggerated   acuteness   in 


294  Life  of  Deafi  Alford.  [Chap.  VIII. 

scenting  out  Popery  in  titles  and  decorations^  and  sucli 
like  trifles  tends  to  feed  tlie  evil,  and  to  turn  many  a  weak 
mind  in  the  wrong  direction,  when  such  thoughts  othei'wise 
never  would  have  entered  it ;  it  is  not  by  these  things  that 
Popery  is  spread,  the  poison  lies  far  deeper. 

"  At  the  risk  of  being  troublesome,  I  cannot  help  closing 
our  correspondence  by  a  protest  against  what  appears  to  mo 
the  very  extraordinary  theory  of  your  last  letter  on  our 
Protestant  standing;  viz,  that  of  ignoring  and  repudiating 
the  Church  of  Christ  in  this  land  during  the  darkness  of 
Popery.  I  cannot  accept  such  a  view  for  one  moment.  God 
had  a  work  in  this  land  during  the  whole  of  that  time,  and 
that  work  forms  part  of  our  history,  and  is  rightly  claimed 
by  our  Eeformed  Church.  And  the  titles  of  saints  who 
lived  during  that  time  are  adopted  by  us  in  very  many  cases 
entirely  without  regard  to  the  fabulous  tales  which  have 
been  attached  to  the  bearers.  We  commonly  speak  of  St. 
Augustine,  St.  Anselm,  St.  Mildred,  St.  Alban,  and  be- 
lieving them  to  have  been  good  Christian  persons  in  dark 
times,  and  the  only  mischief  which  I  can  conceive  likely  to 
come  of  doing  so  is,  when  men^s  titles  are  made  matters  of 
importance  by  taking  offence  at  them.  It  is  this  gnat- 
straining  which,  in  my  experience,  has  done  half  the 
mischief.'^ 

Two  or  three  extracts  from  his  journal  may  close  the 
account  of  this  year  : — ■ 

"  Oct.  7. — My  forty-ninth  birthday ;  a  solemn  thing  to 
come  in  sight  of  fifty.  How  thankful  I  ought  to  be  to  my 
gracious  God  for  having  spared  me  so  long;  may  my  re- 
maining days  be  better  spent  to  His  glory  than  any  yet. 

''Oct.  11. — Busy  making  a  small  cloister  leading  to  the 
Cathedral  from  my  private  door. 

"  Oct.  21. — To  town  to  consult  the  Alexandrian  MS.  in 
the  British  Museum  about  evcfypoavvrjv  in  Ps.  xv.  11,  &c. 
[Acts  ii.  28.]    Home  by  4.30. 

"  Oct.  26. — Poor  Charles  Hodge  drowned  in  the  '  Royal 
Charter,'  the  cousin  so  mixed  up  ^\dth  our  early  days." 

The  Rev.  C.  Hodge  was  a  distant  cousin,  who,  being  an 


i86o]  Finis Jdng  the  Greek  Testament.  295 

orphan^  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Heale  House  in  early  life. 
The  health  of  his  wife  led  to  a  visit  to  Australia ;  whence 
he  was  retui'ning  in  the  "  Royal  Charter/^  when  he  shared 
the  fate  of  the  passenger's  in  that  vessel^  which  was  wrecked 
in  Red  Wharf  Bay,  Anglesey,  and  went  down  three  hours 
after  striking.  Only  thirty-nine  passengers  were  saved  out 
of  498.  Mr.  Charles  Hodge's  body  was  never  found.  A 
local  newspaper  records  how  his  last  hours  were  spent  in 
preparing  his  fellow-sufferers  for  the  awful  future  which  lay 
before  them*. 

In  the  next  month  some  unusual  visitors  came  to  the 
Precincts. 

"Nov.  1. — Showed  one  hundred  soldiers  over  the  Cathedral, 
Anniversary  of  the  Soldiers'  Institute.  The  Chaplain- General 
and  I  addressed  them  on  the  occasion." 

Other  entries  record  his  progress  in  finishing  the  sketches 
which  he  brought  from  Scotland,  and  in  composing  the  last 
volume  of  his  Notes  on  the  Greek  Testament. 

Ending  with  — 

"Dec.  31. — Read  aloud  to  them  in  the  evening  the  year's 
summary  in  the  Times,  and  the  memoir  of  Lord  Macaulay 
[who  died  30th] .  Thanks  be  to  my  God  who  has  brought 
me  in  safety  to  the  end  of  another  year.  May  it  not  rise  up 
in  judgment  against  me  !" 

The  first  week  of  1860  was  spent  in  a  visit  to  the  Rev. 
C.  J.  (now  Bishop)  Ellicott,  who  then  resided  at  Cambridge. 
In  those  pleasant  days  we  were  far  from  anticipating  the 
dangerous  accident  which  befell  our  host  soon  afterwards.  My 
husband  made  an  appointment  to  meet  him  in  London  on 
February  20th,  but  on  arriving  at  King's  College,  he  heard 
of  the  distressing  accident  which  nearly  deprived  the  future 
Bishop   of  life,  the  train  in  which  he  was  travelling  from 


0  In  the  midst  of  the  most  heartrending  scenes  the  Eev.  C.  Hodge  (Vicav 
of  East  Retford)  endeavoured  to  calm  them  and  begged  them  to  join  with 
him  in  prayer  :  many  of  the  passengers  were  happy  at  that  dread  hour  to 
commit  themselves  to  the  care  of  their  heavenly  Father,  and  participate 
fervently  in  the  service  :  his  countenance  w^as  the  only  one  that  was  calm 
and  unruffled  amid  scenes  which  baffle  all  efforts  to  describe. 


296  Life  of  Dean  A/ford.  [Chap.  VIIL 

Cambridge  to  London  was  upset;  some  passengers  were 
killed,  and  others  more  or  less  severely  injured.  My  hus- 
band's first  thoughts  are  recorded  in  his  journal,  and  in  a 
letter  to  his  younger  daughter  at  Canterbury. 

"Feb.  20. — Went  to  town  by  appointment  to  meet  Ellicott 
— heard  of  his  most  sad  accident.  What  a  useful  career  cut 
off,  so  dear  and  good  a  man  crushed  !  God's  ways  are  indeed 
mysterious ;  arranged  to  take  his  King's  College  lectures  for 
him." 

"  Your  heart  will  bleed  when  you  read  the  enclosed.  Oh,  is 
it  not  sad  that  such  a  life  should  be  sacrificed? 

"  The  loss  to  me  will  be  more  than  I  can  describe,  a  brother 
in  my  life's  labour.  I  am  sure  you  will  weep  with  and  for 
me ;  there  may  yet  be  a  ray  of  hope,  but  I  confess  I  have 
none.  I  really  have  thought  of  nothing  else.  He  went  up  by 
an  earlier  train  than  usual  to  be  photographed  for  his  pupils. 
'  His  vanity,'  he  said,  '  after  all  did  it.'  I  saw  his  father,  and 
arranged  to  take  his  lectures  for  him  till  Easter." 

In  his  journals  he  records  many  journeys  "  To  London  to 
take  Divinity  Lectures  at  King's  College.  Large  class  of  men, 
two  hours  of  it." 

He  was  now  drawing  near  to  the  completion  of  his  work 
of  eighteen  years. 

"Feb,  17. — Finished  the  Apocalypse,  and  with  it  the  work 
I  began  in  December,  1842  ;  but  much  remains  to  be  done  in 
writing  Prolegomena  and  correcting  notes." 

At  this  time  he  was  obliged  to  consult  his  friend  Sir  H. 
Holland,  having  some  troublesome  symptoms  in  his  head, 
the  effect  of  over- work.  But  it  was  not  till  May  that  he  left 
Canterbury  for  a  few  days,  when  he  went  on  the  Archbishop's 
invitation  to  Lambeth.  His  journal  records  a  characteristic 
act  of  Archbishop  Sumner. 

"  May  5. — Staying  at  Lambeth. 

"May  6. — Preached  at  Westminster  Abbey  from  John 
xvi.  8 — 11.  Next  morning  the  good  old  Archbishop  got  up 
to  see  me  off  by  the  express  train,  and  sent  me  in  his  own 
carriage  up  Constitution  Hill  to  the  Great  Western." 

From  thence  he  went  for  a  few  days  into  Somersetshire, 


i86o]  Cornwall.  297 

preaclied  at  the  completion  of  the  restoration  of  Curry  Rivell 
cliurclij  and  gave  a  lecture  at  Taunton  on  Canterbury  Catlio- 
dral.  After  Lis  return  lie  gave  at  Canterbury  liis  first  lecture 
on  the  "  Queen's  English/'  In  July  the  Agricultural  Meeting 
was  held  in  Canterbury,  in  which  he  took  much  interest, 
and  whilst  it  lasted  kept  open  house. 

On  the  14th  of  July  we  went  for  a  family  tour  in  the  West ; 
his  chief  amusement  was  sketching  ;  and  he  wrote  two  or 
three  short  poems,  namely,  '^  Here,  midway  perch'd  between 
the  sea  and  sky ''  (p.  333)  and  "  The  Land's  End "  (p. 
334).  We  spent  Sunday,  15th,  at  Exeter;  the  places  which 
we  visited  were  Bideford,  Clovelly,  Bude,  reaching  Tintagel 
on  Saturday  and  spending  Sunday  there,  having  made  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Vicar,  Eev.  E,.  B.  Kinsman,  who  showed 
us  the  remains  of  the  Castle,  &c.  Then  southward  to  Fal- 
mouth and  Lizard,  &c. 

"  Juhj  25. — To  Kynance  Cove,  as  beautiful  as  ever  ;  took 
and  finished  a  sketch  on  the  spot;  nest  day  to  Penolver 
Point,  where  I  finished  a  sketch  on  a  ledge  of  a  rock 
in  a  fearful  place  over  Belidden  Cove ;  then  all  along  the  cliff 
paths  by  Landewednack  Cove  to  Cadgwith,  back  in  a 
boat  seeing  and  sketching  Dolor  Hugo  (see  *^  Letters  from 
Abroad,"  chapter  v.  p.  161,  2nd  ed.). 

''July  27. — Sketching  towards  Kynance  Cove ;  Alice  and  I 
went  down  to  the  beach,  where  Philp's  picture,  which  we  have, 
was  painted. 

"July  30. — To  Mullion  Cove,  most  striking  and  glorious 

place,  even  more  so  than  Kynance,  if  not  so  pretty,  grand 

jumble  of  rocks  of    a  gi-and  size;   to  Gunwalloe,  Helston, 

and  Penzance,  seeing  and  sketching  St.  Michael's  Mount, — 

"Where  tlie  great  vision  of  the  guarded  mounts" 

''July  31. — To  St.  Burian's^  where  we  have  engaged 
lodgings  for  a  week  at  a  farm-house  called  Bowcastle. 

"Aug.  1. — To  Logan  Stone,  and  on  to  Porth  Kernow, 
where  we  sketched,  lunched,  and  picked  up  shells. 


?  Milton's  "  Lycidas,"  line  161.  ^  See  p.  1. 


298  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  VIII. 

"  Aug.  2.— V^alked  from  Tol  Peer,  Penrith,  to  Land's  End, 
and  lunched  in  a  cove  at  Mill  Bay. 

"Aug.  5 — 8.— At  St.  Just,  helped  Eev.  J.  H.  Hadow  on 
Sunday,  thence  we  saw  Cape  Cornwall,  Botallack  Mine, 
Gurnand's  Head,  St.  Ives,  and  had  a  most  pleasant  time 
with  the  Hadows. 

"  Aug.  9. — Off  by  train  to  Plymouth,  crossing  the  wonder- 
ful bridge  at  Saltash;  found  all  the  Hutchinsons  well  at 
Government  House. 

''Aug.  10. — To  the  Dockyard  with  General  H.,  and  in  his 
boat  after  lunch  with  Mrs.  H.,  and  the  party  to  the  Break- 
water ;  next  day  to  see  Mount  Edgecumbe.  " 

The  following  letter  to  his  brother,  Mr,  B.  H.  Alford,  was 
written  in  the  early  part  of  this  tour  : — 

"  Bowcastle,  St.  BuriarCs,  July  31. 

"  We  have  had  a  splendid  week  at  the  Lizard;  a  week  ago 
we  came  to  Lizard  town  from  Falmouth  by  a  much  prettier 
way  than  you  and  I  did  that  evening  when  we  went  down  to 
the  Lion's  Den  and  looked  about.  We  went  to  the  same 
spot  to  sketch  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  to 
Kynance  Cove,  where  I  sketched  again  ;  after  breakfast  on 
Thursday  we  went  to  Penolver  Point,  and  over  the  cliffs  to 
Cadgwith,  back  in  a  boat  by  Dolor  Hugo,  and  passing  Ea- 
vens  Hugo  to  Landewednack,  and  next  morning  on  the 
cliffs  towards  Kynance,  and  in  the  evening  to  Polpeer 
Beach,  poking  about  and  sketching.  On  Saturday  we  mi- 
grate to  St.  Just,  where  on  Sunday  I  preach  for  Hadow, 
and  remain  there  till  Thursday,  when  we  are  due  at 
Plymouth." 

On  October  2  Canterbury  was  again  the  resort  of  many 
visitors  on  a  different  occasion.  Archdeacon  C.  E.  Mackenzie 
came  to  Canterbury  to  bid  farewell  to  as  many  of  his  friends 
and  well-wishers  as  could  meet  him  there,  and  the  Cathedral 
was  used  for  the  service  on  that  occasion.  Six  years  pre- 
viously Mr.  Mackenzie  had  given  up  the  quiet  and  honourable 
occupation  of  tutor  in  his  college  at  Cambridge,  to  undertake 
the  rough  work  of  a  Colonial  Missionary  in  Natal ;  and  now. 


i86o]  Bishop  C.  F.  Mackenzie.  299 

when  the  example  and  exhortations  of  the  African  explorer, 
Dr.  Livingstone,  had  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Universities' 
Central  Africa  Mission,  Archdeacon  Mackenzie  complied  with 
the  request  that  he  would  lead  the  new  Mission  to  its  work. 
How  nobly  he  laboured  and  died  in  the  Missionary  field  has 
been  related  by  his  biogi-apher,  Bishop  Goodwin.  His  fare- 
well at  Canterbury  was  a  memorable  occasion.  The  Mis- 
sionary College  of  St.  Augustine  was  filled  with  guests  and 
visitors.  The  Bishop  of  Oxford  (Dr.  Wilberforce)  preached 
an  eloquent  and  touching  sermon  in  the  Cathedral.  No 
token  of  sympathy  which  could  have  warmed  the  hearts  of 
the  departing  Missionaries  was  wanting.  My  husband's 
journal  states  : — 

"Oct.  1. — Prepared  Apocalypse  before  breakfast;  then 
arranged  some  flowers ;  then  with  my  secretaries,  Hake  and 
Grafton ;  at  half-past  one  to  the  Mayor's,  to  sit  to  Mr. 
Papworth  for  my  bust ;  a  walk  then  to  the  station,  to  meet 
the  Bishops  of  Oxford  and  Chichester,  the  Dean  of  Ely  (now 
Bishop  of  Carlisle),  Mrs.  Goodwin,  Archdeacon  Mackenzie, 
&c.  They  and  many  more  dined  at  the  Deanery,  and  all  the 
world  in  the  evening. 

"  Oct.  2. — ^Very  busy  making  arrangements  in  the  Cathe- 
dral. At  ten  Archdeacon  Mackenzie  planted  a  Wellingtonia 
Gigantea  in  the  Deanery  garden.  Service  at  10.30;  very 
full ;  500  Communicants,  and  400?.  collected.  Lunch  at 
St.  Augustine's;  300.     Speeches." 

A  few  days  afterwards  we  heard  of  the  sudden  death  of 
my  sister  Octavia  by  epilepsy.  She  has  been  previously 
mentioned  (p.  166).  It  was,  as  my  husband's  journal 
states,  "  a  merciful  end  to  the  dark  prospects  which 
seemed  crowding  round  her.  She  was  quite  prepared  for 
her  sudden  summons."  His  entry  at  the  end  of  the 
year  is  : — 

''Dec.  31. — Mr.  G.  Richmond  breakfasted  with  us  a  few 
days  ago.  Showed  him  all  the  Deanery  pictures,  and  took 
him  to  see  the  Dark  Chapel.  I  have  been  skating  :  I  have 
not  put  on  skates  for  ten  years.  Busy  about  arrangements 
for  our  Masque,  and  church,  &c. 


300  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  VIII. 

"  I  am  now  writing  with  the  ten  midnight  bells  ringing  in 
1861.  God  be  praised  for  all  the  mercies  of  another  happy 
3'ear,  in  which  I  have  been  enabled  to  finish  my  Greek 
Testament^  the  work  of  eighteen  years.  May  He  grant  that 
future  years,  if  I  am  spared  to  see  any,  may  be  spent  more 
to  His  praise  !  If  I  am  to  live,  keep  me  with  Thee ;  if  I  am 
to  die,  take  me  to  Thee." 


CHAPTER    IX. 
1861—1862. 


Masque  of  "The  Seasons"— First  Visit  to  Rome— Preaches 
before  the  queen— cathedral  repairs— autumn  at  the 
Lakes — Translation  of  the  Odyssey  published— Death  of 
THE  Prince  Consort — Visit  to  Nice— Tour  in  Switzerland 
— Death  of  Archbishop  Sumner,  and  Enthronement  of 
Archbishop  Longley. 


ON  tlie  first  day  of  the  new  year  1861  our  ordinary 
choristers'  evening  party  was  diversified  by  an  enter- 
tainment which  called  into  unusual  exercise  the  versatile 
talents  of  the  host.  ^'The  Seasons:  a  Masque ''  (^"^  Poems/' 
pp.  355 — 361)  was  "presented''  before  as  numerous  a 
company  as  the  Deanery  could  accommodate,  a  principal 
part  in  the  performance  (the  character  of  Father  Christmas) 
being  undertaken  by  the  Dean,  who  had  written  all  the  songs 
and  choruses,  and  composed  all  the  music.  He  says  in  his 
journal : — 

"Jan.  1. — Our  Masque  wont  off  well.  Words  and  music 
both  mine;  104  guests.  We  had  a  Christmas-tree  and 
presents.     All  seemed  pleased." 

The  employments  of  the  next  few  days  are  curiously  con- 
trasted with  that  bright  scene  :  — 

"  Jan.  2. — Last  proof  of  the  Apocalypse. 

"Jan.  3. — Looking  over  papers  for  Cambridge  Middle 
Class  Examination.     A  regular  stiff  lot :  284  candidates. 

''Went  with  Robertson  in  the  afternoon  to  see  the  old 
columns  from  the  Reculvers  Church,  which  have  been  given 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter." 


302  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

On  January  21st  we  went  for  two  days  to  the  Bishop  of 
London^s  (Dr.  Tait)  at  Falham,  and  on  the  30th  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  receiving  from  Rivington  the  first  copy  of  the 
last  volume  of  his  Greek  Testament.  No  doubt  this  was 
before  his  mind  on  the  next  day,  when  he  wrote,  in  a  short 
letter  from  Folkestone  to  me  :  "  It  has  pleased  God  to  enable 
me  to  finish  my  work  of  many  years.  I  hope  and  trust  He 
may  have  more  work  for  me  to  do  for  Him ;  if  not,  it  would 
be  with  me  nunc  dimUtis — life  has  been  quite  as  long  as  I 
could  expect." 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year,  as  well  as  some  weeks  pre- 
viously, he  gave  many  spare  hours  to  preparing  for  a  long- 
intended  visit  to  Rome.  He  says,  "  Preparing  for  my  visit 
to  Rome.  Reading  Milman's  '  Latin  Christianity,*  and  cut 
out  Burgon's  Roman  letters  from  the  Guardian  to  take 
with  us  " 

Soon  after  we  went,  in  1853,  to  reside  in  St.  John's 
Wood,  London,  we  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev. 
W.  T.  Bullock,  then  an  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  who  lived  in  Hamilton 
Terrace,  near  us,  and  it  was  agreed  between  my  husband 
and  him  that  they  should  visit  Rome  together.  Various 
engagements  on  both  sides  prevented  the  design  being 
carried  out  for  three  years ;  but  the  convenient  time  came 
in  1 861,  and  they  left  London  together  early  on  the  morning 
of  February  1st,  with  the  intention  of  returning  at  the  end 
of  four  weeks.  I  shall  allow,  as  usual,  my  husband's  letters 
to  tell  the  story  of  one  of  the  most  delightful  tours  which  he 
has  recorded : — 

To  HIS  Wipe, 

"Hotel  de  Louvre,  Paris,  Feb.  1. 
"  Here  we  are,  all  safe.  We  had  a  pleasant  passage;  not 
smooth,  far  otherwise ;  and  so,  breakfasting  on  French  rolls 
and  English  chops  (both  in  a  marine  sense),  we  at  length 
found  ourselves  ^half-seas  over,'  and  soon  after  at  Calais. 
This  is  the  grandest  place  I  ever  saw  by  way  of  an  hotel, 
and  so  comfortable." 


i86i]  Lyons.  303 

To  HIS  Daughter  Alice. 

"Lyons,  Fel.  3. 

"  Here  we  are  ;  came  last  nighty  and  liave  been  all  day  here. 
We  left  Paris  in  a  brilliant  mild  morning,  after  a  walk  to  see 
wliat  has  been  done  of  late  years.  Numerous  changes  have 
been  made,  so  that  you  would  hardly  know  some  parts  of 
Paris  again.  As  we  got  farther  south  it  got  colder  and 
colder,  and  the  patches  of  snow  and  ice  became  larger,  and 
in  the  deep  cuttings  the  water  which  ought  to  run  down  the 
sides  was  frozen  in  solid  columns  all  sorts  of  fantastic  shapes. 
This  morning  we  found  out  the  English  Church.  What  we 
heard  by  way  of  sermon  I  leave  you  to  surmise  by  the  en- 
closed note,  which  the  clergyman  sent  to  me  during  the 
singing  \  Service  being  over,  we  explored  the  old  Church 
of  St.  Martin  Amay,  where  the  martyrs  were  imprisoned; 
then  we  mounted  the  Fourviere  by  a  different  way  from  one 
which  we  took  before ;  thence  down  to  the  cathedral,  where 
we  v/itnessed  vespers,  and  heard  a  sermon.  During  vespers 
they  sung  our  104th  Psalm  tune  (Handel's).  Afterwards 
there  was  a  grand  procession  of  the  Sacrament,  held  up  by  a 
Bishop  under  a  canopy,  followed  by  all  the  cathedral  body. 
The  effect  was  very  striking ;  and  if  one  could  believe  what 
they  believe,  I  have  no  doubt  very  solemn.  Then  followed 
the  sermon,  a  very  interesting  one,  with  much  action,  from 
Matt.  V.  48.  The  preacher  introduced  all  sorts  of  anec- 
dotes about  St.  Bernard,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  and  his  sister, 
St.  rran9ois  de  Sales,  Frederick  the  Great,  Madame  Main- 
tenon,  Madame  la  Yalliere,  &c.  To-morrow  at  7.30  we  start 
for  Marseilles. 

To  HIS  Daughter  Mary. 

"  Marseilles,  Feb.  4. 
''  That  little  face  at  the  carriage-door  at  the  station,  that 


1  "  I  am  suffering  from  sore  throat  and  will  take  it  aa  a  great  favour  if 
you  will  kindly  preach." 

In  those  days  the  English  Church  Service  was  performed  at  Lyons  under 
discouraging  circumstances.  On  this  occasion  the  Dean  assented  to  the 
request  from  the  unknown  clergyman  officiating  which  reached  him  in  the 
interval  between  the  Litany  and  the  Communion  Service,  and  preached  au 
extemporary  sermon  on  the  Gospel  for  the  day. 


304  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IX. 

kiss  of  the  hand,  that  form  becoming  tinier  as  we  steamed 
away,  these  were  the  last  of  thee,  something  like  these  may 
be  the  first  of  thee  again,  an  it  please  God.  "VYell,  to  my 
work  :  vip  to  last  night  was  sent  to  Alice  from  Lyons.  Up 
at  six,  and  to  breakfast  with  what  appetite  we  might,  the 
omnibus,  baggage,  and  salle  d^attente,  &c,  as  usual :  fog 
and  cold  as  yesterday,  ice  and  snow  and  frozen  falls  of  water 
on  either  side  of  the  line ;  but  soon  after  Vienne  we  dashed 
out  of  a  cutting  into  the  sunshine,  and  have  had  ever  since 
the  most  beautiful  spring  day.  You  can  imagine  Avignon. 
Mount  Ventoux  looked  with  a  brilliant  snowy  top  over  a 
bank  of  clouds,  and  the  distant  Alps  were  glorious.  After 
Aries  all  was  new  :  the  queer  descent  of  the  Crau,  the 
Etangs,  or  Salt  Lakes,  and,  finally,  Marseilles  itself,  a  very 
large  and  remarkable  city.  We  walked  up  to  Notre  Dame 
de  la  Garde,  where  is  the  celebrated  view  of  the  city  and  the 
Mediterranean,  and  a  truly  striking  view  it  is ;  inland  lies 
Marseilles  spread  out  round  an  irregular  bay,  and  backed  by 
a  range  of  odd  jagged  mountains,  and  the  other  side  the 
expanse  of  the  Mediterranean  with  two  or  three  rocky 
islands  in  the  middle  distance,  not  blue  this  evening,  for 
though  very  calm  and  warm  it  is  overclouded,  but  clear  and 
smooth  even  to  reflecting  the  boats  sailing  in  it.  Hence  wo 
saw  the  sun  slip  into  bed  through  a  chink  in  the  clouds, 
with  his  crimson  dressing-gown  on. 

"  So  now  we  are  fairly  in  for  it ;  and  whether  we  are  to 
have  as  calm  a  night  as  it  is  evening,  or  whether,  as  I  rather 
suspect,  this  calm  is  only  a  prelude  to  a  brisk  wind, — to-night 
and  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow  night,  we  shall  spend  on  the 
broad  sea,  with  our  safety  in  His  hand  who  rules  the  waters, 
and  many  thoughts  and  prayers-  from  three  dear  souls  at 
Canterbury,  and  from  others  as  dear  to  my  companion  in 
London :  and  now,  fare  thee  well.  Only  think,  very  likely 
the  Trenches  and  their  daughter  will  join  us  at  Rome  next 

week." 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Feh.  5. 

"Between  the  Gulf  of  Genoa  and  Corsica  I  am  going  to 


i86i]  Rome.  305 

write  you  a  sea  letter  :  given  the  deep  blue  Mediterranean  all 
round,  calm,  but  with  a  ripple,  and  many  a  twinkling  dimple 
just  making  it  a  living  thing ;  the  most  lovely  of  June  days, 
pure  blue  sky  with  light  fleecy  clouds  lying  still  in  packs ; 
the  Alps  fading  into  mist,  very  glorious,  early  in  the  morning, 
as  I  saw  them  lit  up  by  the  newly-risen  sun;  Corsica  coming 
plainly  into  sight. 

"  Givita  Vecchia,  Feb.  6. — Here  at  last,  thank  God,  after 
such  a  night.  On  rounding  the  north  end  of  Corsica,  all 
was  changed,  the  sea  '  wrought  and  was  tempestuous,^  the 
sun  set  fiery  red,  and  all  night  has  been  one  continued 
storm." 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Hotel  de  Londres,  Rome,  Feh.  7- 

"  Here  we  are  in  Eome ;  what  does  and  what  does  not  that 
word  carry  with  it?  the  capital  of  heathen  dominion,  the 
capital  of  worldly  Christianity,  the  metropolis  of  the  world ; 
all  these  titles  meet  in  tliis  one  most  wonderful  place,  and 
make  the  moment  when  one  first  walks  abroad,  and  looks 
on  its  thousand  monuments  of  each  of  these  facts,  almost  the 
event  of  one's  historical  life.  We  have  been  to  the  Mau- 
soleum of  Augustus,  where  all  the  early  Emperors  were 
buried,  now  a  comic  theatre  !  to  the  castle  of  St.  Angelo 
(once  the  Mausoleum  of  Hadrian) .  Over  his  bridge,  the  Pons 
^lius,  and  so  on  to  St.  Peter's.  Nothing  can  be  more  disap- 
pointing than  the  first  sight  of  it.  In  the  general  effect  it 
is  certainly  wanting,  but  the  effects  of  particular  parts  are 
most  astonishing.  From  St.  Peter's  we  went  up  to  the 
Janiculum,  whence  is  a  very  fine  view  of  Rome,  and  where 
Tasso  died  and  is  buried.  Then  down  again,  and  up  by 
the  City  flour-mills,  built  up  a  steep  ascent,  and  driven  by 
the  water  which  comes  from  the  Fountain  of  Paul  V.  The 
fountain  is  very  striking,  one  of  the  best  in  this  city  of 
waters ;  the  water  comes  from  the  Lake  Bracciano,  thirty 
miles  distant,  brought  by  Pope  Paul  Y.  Close  to  the 
fountain  is  the  Church  of  St.  Pietro  in  Montorio,  from  the 
front  of  which  is  the  view  of  Rome  in  the  little  print  on  my 

X 


3o6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IX. 

study  chimney-piece;  this  view  is  magnificent,  the  whole 
city,  ancient  and  modern,  with  its  domes  and  towers  and  its 
seven  hills,  the  Tiber  winding  beneath,  and  beyond  the 
Alban  Hills  to  the  right,  and  to  the  left  the  Apennines  ; 
the  tops  covered  with  snow  and  the  sides  glittering  like 
silver  in  the  sun.  Thence  down  and  through  the  region 
of  the  Trastevere  (beyond  the  Tiber),  where  the  people 
retain  more  of  the  characteristics  of  old  Rome  than  any- 
where else.  We  then  crossed  the  Ponte  Sisto,  having 
first  seen  a  remarkable  fine  old  church,  Santa  Maria  in 
Trastevere.  Then  to  the  Pantheon,  (as  we  could  not  get 
in,  more  of  this  hereafter,)  then  home ;  but  the  impossible 
thing  now  at  Rome  is  to  cross  the  Corso,  as  it  is  the 
height  of  the  Carnival,  and  all  the  houses  are  hung  with 
flags  and  red  cloth,  and  fitted  with  balconies  full  of  masked 
people,  who  throw  white-washed  pebbles  at  everybody 
below. 

"At  five  o'clock  each  evening  the  horse-race  takes  place 
of  horses  sayis  riders,  and  the  cannon  of  St.  Angelo  fires, 
and  all  is  over.  I  am  tired,  having  walked  eight  miles  by 
my  pedometer.  Thermometer  outside  our  window  at  half- 
past  eleven,  52°. 

'^i^e5.  8. — To  deliver  our  letters  of  introduction  at  the 
Vatican ;  no  end  of  trouble  up  and  down  long  flights  of  stairs, 
and,  after  all,  found  no  one  whom  we  wanted;  then  back 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Tiber,  and  making  our  way  through 
the  Ghetto,  the  Jews'  Quarter,  to  the  island  on  the  Tiber. 
As  we  were  crossing  the  bridge  two  or  three  red  carriages 
came  by,  and  a  gay  one  with  six  horses — and  in  this  sat  Pio 
Nono,  with  one  hand  stretched  out  blessing  as  he  went ;  this 
was  luck  ;  then  we  struck  into  some  of  his  Holiness's  filthiest 
alleys  through  the  Ghetto,  stopping  in  the  fish-market  to 
see  the  Portico  of  Octavia,  a  massive  remain  of  the  time  of 
Augustus.  Then  to  the  island  of  the  Tiber;  the  so-called 
Temple  of  Venus;  the  arch  beneath  it  is  the  wonderful 
Cloaca  Maxima,  or  main  sewer  of  Rome,  constructed  by 
Tarquinius  Prisons ;  the  Temple  of  Fortuna  Virihs ;  the  Arch 
of  Janus,   erected  by  Septimius   Severus ;  the  Forum,  with 


i86i]  The  Appian  Way.  307 

its  never-dying  interests ;  then  mounted  the  Capitol  ^  Saw 
the  Church  of  Ara  Coeli  and  the  Mamertine  Prison,  where 
Jugurtha  was  starved;  then  home  fagged  out.  A  sirocco 
blowing. 

"  Feh.  9. — To-day  has  been  a  delightful  day  of  comparative 
rest  after  the  fatigues  and  sirocco  of  yesterday.  At  ten 
with  our  friends,  the  Misses  Baily,  in  their  carriage  to  a 
service  at  St.  Peter^s  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  some 
mediasval  Pope,  I  could  not  tell  whom.  The  singing  was 
tolerable;  the  music  as  to  character  and  composition  atrocious. 
The  interior  of  St.  Peter's  grows  upon  us  more  every  time 
we  go  there.  After  this  we  went  to  see  the  tombs  on  the 
Appian  and  Latin  Ways,  through  the  Forum,  and  by  the 
Circus  Maximus,  past  the  church  erected  to  mark  the  spot 
where  St.  Peter  (so  says  the  legend),  when  flying  from  per- 
secution, met  our  Lord,  and  asked  Him,  '  Domine,  quo  vadis?' 
{'  Lord,  whither  goest  Thou  ?')  to  which  our  Lord  replied, 
'  Yado  ad  Romain  iterum  crucifigi '  (^  I  go  to  Rome  to  be 
again  crucified ')  ;  on  which  the  Apostle  went  back  and  sub- 
mitted himself.  On  from  thence  to  the  Tomb  of  the  Scipios, 
and  a  very  interesting  little  Columbarium,  so  called  from 
being  full  of  little  pigeon-holes  in  which  in  little  marble 
boxes  the  burnt  bones  are  deposited.  Thence  to  the  famous 
Tomb  of  Cecilia  Metella,  like  a  huge  drum  of  massive  stone ; 
then  on  and  on  for  miles  through  a  street  of  tombs  large  and 
small,  and  unnamed  and  unknown  heaps  of  old  Roman 
masonry,  most  striking  and  solemn.  The  Via  Appia  runs  on 
a  ridge  in  the  Campagna,  commanding  a  view  of  wonderful 
beauty  over  the  Campagna  itself,  with  the  aqueducts  running 
across  it  in  two  or  three  directions ;  and,  beyond,  the  glorious 
mountains,  gleaming  to-day  like  molten  silver  in  the  rich  sun 
and  shade  of  a  windy,  showery  day.  On  our  way  back  we 
turned  across  a  field  into  the  old  Via  Latina,  and  there  we 
saw  the  sight  of  the  day.  The  present  Pope  has  been 
making  many  excavations  since  1859,  and  has  made  some 
very  beautiful  and   interesting    discoveries.     They    consist 


2  Not  the  tower,  which  is  hopelessly  shut  to  all. 

x2 


3o8  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

mainly  of  painted  tombs,  sepulchral  chambers,  vaulted  with 
the  most  exquisite  Arabesque  patterns  and  figures. 

"  Sunday,  Feb.  10. — Went  to  the  English  Church  (nearly 
700).  Service  and  singing  fair;  and  Mr.  Woodward,  the 
chaplain,  preached  an  able  sermon.  After  church  we  went 
across  the  Pincian  Hill  to  Overbeck's  studio  near  Sta.  Maria 
Maggiore,  on  the  Viminal.  Overbeck  shows  his  pictures 
himself,  and  explained  to  us  some  beautiful  outlines  which 
he  is  making  of  the  Seven  Sacraments.  Then  we  returned 
by  the  Baths  of  Diocletian,  part  of  which  was  made  into  a 
church  by  Michael  Angelo,  now  call  Sta.  Maria  degli  Angeli, 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Kome.  This  church  contains  the 
tomb  of  Salvator  Eosa.  Sunday  is  very  well  kept  in  Rome  : 
shops  shut,  no  post,  no  carnival. 

"Monday,  Feb.  11. — To  the  Sistine  Chapel  to  see  the 
famous  frescoes  of  Michael  Angelo,  which  much  surpassed 
my  expectations ;  they  are  described  in  Murray  and  Kugler, 
so  I  will  not  waste  time  in  doing  so  again. 

"  Tuesday,  Feb.  12. — Determined  to  take  a  country  walk, 
so  off  we  started.  Out  by  the  Porta  Pia,  along  the  Via 
Nomentana,  past  the  church  and  catacombs  (yet  to  be  seen) 
of  St.  Agnese,  and  on  and  on  and  on,  sometimes  deviating 
into  the  fields  to  examine  a  ruin  and  pick  wild  anemones 
and  geraniums  now  just  coming  into  flower.  About  four 
miles  from  Rome  we  came  upon  the  Anio,  and  even  the 
Ponte  Lomentano,  a  queer  old  bridge  with  a  tower  at  each  end 
(the  old  Pons  Nomentanus).  Just  beyond  rises  the  Mons 
Sacer,  a  little  green  hill  of  tufa,  with  several  promontories 
quite  large  enough  to  hold  the  plebs  of  old  Rome;  from  it 
are  fine  views  of  the  Apennines  and  Alban  Hills.  Here  we 
lunched,  and  I  took  a  sketch,  the  last  materially  curtailed 
(excuse  the  pun)  by  the  approach  in  the  distance  of  a  great 
sheepdog.  We  returned  by  the  same  Via  Nomentana  as  far 
as  St.  Agnese,  then  struck  off  at  right  angles  by  the  road 
leading  to  Porta  Salara  (you  can  trace  our  walk  on  the  map 
of  the  Campagna  I  bought  at  Miss  Webb's  sale),  and  in 
descending  from  the  Villa  Ludovisi  came  upon  a  wall  quite 
matted  with  maiden- hair  fern. 


i86i]  SL  John  Lateran.  309 

"  Ash- Wednesday,  Feb.  13. — To  the  Sistiue  Chapel  in  the 
Vatican  to  see  the  Pope  distribute  ashes  to  the  Cardinals. 
The  little  Princes  of  Naples  were  there.  Then  to  the  museum 
in  the  Capitol;  there  we  went  through  the  various  halls  and 
galleries  of  statues.  The  Gladiator,  Antinous,  Faun,  Girl 
playing  with  a  Dove  and  frightened  by  a  Serpent,  the  Doves 
drinking  from  a  vase,  the  very  one  which  is  described  by 
Pliny,  &c.  Then  to  St.  John  Lateran;  the  old  parts  of 
this  great  Basilica,  '  the  first  church  in  Rome  and  the 
World.'  The  gem  of  this  noble  church,  indeed  almost  the 
most  beautiful  thing  I  have  seen  in  Rome,  is  the  old  cloister 
belonging  to  the  first  Basilica,  with  pillars  of  spiral  alabaster 
worked  between  the  spires  with  old  Byzantine  mosaic,  of 
which  there  is  also  an  entablature  over  the  arches  in  beau- 
tiful patterns.  Near  here  is  the  Lateran  Museum,  which 
consists  wholly  of  tombs  and  inscriptions  found  in  the  Cata- 
combs, numbers  of  most  interesting  sarcophagi  with  Chris- 
tian bas-reliefs." 

To  THE  Rev.  W.  H.  Gurney. 

"Rome,  Hotel  de  Londres,  Piazza  di  Sjpagna,  Feh.  13,  1861. 
"  I  came  here  last  week,  having  fairly  finished  and  pub^ 
lished  my  last  volume,  thinking  I  had  fairly  earned  a  holiday, 
and  wishing  to  spend  it  in  this  city  of  the  world,  which  I  had 
never  seen;  and  I  must  say  everything  has  very  much  sur- 
passed my  expectations.  The  place  is  really  endless  in 
interest  of  all  kinds,  classical,  ecclesiastical,  medigeval, 
artistic,  political ;  as  a  city,  as  a  piece  of  scenery ;  in  society, 
in  solitude ;  every  hill  has  its  charming  view,  every  street  its 
romance;  the  very  people  are  pictures;  the  pictures  and 
statues  are  living  people ;  the  great  temptation  is,  I  want  to 
bring  away  photographs  of  the  whole  place  and  its  treasures." 

To  HIS  Daughter  Alice. 

"  Well,  little  dark-eyed  maid,  and  how  wags  the  world  with 
you  ?  with  me  right  pleasantly ;  Rome  is  not  Heaven,  nay 
indeed,  it  is  far  enough  from  it  just  now,  Heaven  knows  !  but 


3IO  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

as  to  climate  and  scenery  it  is  as  near  it  as  any  place  can  be  ; 
the  weatlier  now  is  sucli  as  we  should  call  glorious  in  Eng- 
land^ the  last  week  in  May ;  buds  bursting,  birds  singing,  all 
the  gardens  and  vineyards  full  of  almond-trees  in  full  bloom, 
and  every  bank  sweet  with  enormous  violets  ;  from  my  bed- 
room I  see  up  the  Trinita  steps,  the  front  of  the  church  and 
the  houses  on  the  Pincian  silver  in  the  moonlight;  but  alas  ! 
no  more  visiting  the  Coliseum  by  moonlight,  things  are  in 
a  very  odd  state  here  !   .  .  .  . 

"  The  King  of  Naples  is  still  here,  and  walks  and  rides  as 
if  nothing  had  happened,  very  foolish,  and  calculated  to  excite 
the  people ;  but  I  hope  I  am  not  saying  too  much  to  pass 
the  post-oflSce,  for  I  don't  want  you  to  lose  this ;  the  up- 
shot of  my  visit  here  is,  we  must  all  come  together.  You 
have  no  idea  of  the  enjoyment  here,  the  habits  are  far  more 
English  than  in  any  other  foreign  places ;  English  bread, 
and  good  lodgings  and  carriages,  and  the  place  so  full  of  all 
kinds  of  interest ;  we  must  think  about  it,  and  try  and  bring 
it  about,  and  meantime  be  reading  for  it.  Well,  it  is  a  quarter 
to  one,  and  I  am  well  tired.  God  bless  you,  my  own  child, 
and  bring  us  again  to  our  own  home  in  peace  and  safety  !  so 
hopes  and  prays  your  loving  father.'' 

To  Canon  Robertson. 

"  I,  God  willing,  return  to  Canterbury  by  Palm  Sunday, 
to  bear  the  burden,  if  not  the  heat  of  Passion  and  Eastertide. 

"  Now  for  tidings  ;  we  have  seen  a  great  deal,  or  rather 
become  aware  how  much  there  is  to  see,  for,  as  you  know,  the 
thing  is  endless  ;  '  omnia  vici  olim ;  verti  et  nunc  omnia 
vinco  '  is  true  without  the  '  verti.'  I  don't  suppose  any  man 
ever  thoroughly  saw  Rome.  I  have  been  doing  a  stroke  of 
work,  five  mornings  at  the  Codex  Vaticanus ;  I  went  twice 
over  the  doubtful  passages  and  fac-similised  most  of  the 
important  various  readings." 

To  His  Wife.  "j'cb.  14. 

"An  ever-memorable  day;  set  off  at  nine  for  Old 
Rome  ^y    the  pouring  fountain  of  Trevi,  and   the  eternal 


i86i]  The  Colise2i7n.  311 

Forum  of  Trojan  (go  where  you  will  we  always  come  to  it) ; 
to  the  Temple  of  Mars  Ultor,  a  great  fragment  with  three 
gigantic  Corinthian  columns,  whose  bases  have  been  exca- 
vated from  beneath  the  soil ;  then  to  the  Temple  of  Pallas 
Minerva,  an  exquisite  fragment  of  a  very  rich  frieze  and  two 
Corinthian  columns,  with  a  statue  of  the  goddess  above.  To 
the  Forum,  and  first  examined  the  Basilica  of  Constantino,  a 
gigantic  ruin  ;  then  to  the  Temple  of  Venus  and  Rome,  built 
by  Hadrian  after  his  own  designs,  just  facing  the  Coliseum, 
the  only  part  standing  is  a  depressed  apse,  with  a  decorated 
roof.  Then  to  the  glorious  Coliseum  itself,  basking  in  a 
cloudless,  intolerable  sun,  the  sky  through  its  many  openings 
an  incredibly  deep  ultramarine  blue ;  we  went  all  over  it,  up 
to  the  very  top,  whence  a  magnificent  view ;  the  whole  Forum, 
Capitol,  St.  Peter's,  just  seen  over  the  Mount  Mario,  all 
burning  under  a  cloudless  sky ;  from  another  point  Mount 
Gennaro,  and,  beyond,  the  snowy  Apennines. 

"  The  proportions  of  the  Coliseum  are  certainly  stupen- 
dous j  it  has  a  Flora  of  its  own,  on  which  books  have  been 
written.  It  is  in  fact  the  great  city  of  the  dead,  where 
thousands  have  perished  while  millions  have  looked  on ;  here 
Ignatius  fell  gloriously  by  the  lions,  and  hundreds  of  Chris- 
tian martyrs  were  cast  to  wild  beasts.  I  thought  of  the 
thousand  events  crowding  along  the  paths  of  history  which 
have  befallen  it  since. 

'^  I  felt  almost  giddy  with  the  whirl  of  thickening  recol- 
lections which  centre  here,  as  I  rambled  about  the  labyrinth 
of  cool  arcades  clothed  with  numerous  budding  plants;  a 
day  never  to  be  forgotten ;  would  that  you  and  the  dear 
girls  were  with  me.  I  cannot  describe  what  I  felt  as  I 
wandered  away  from  the  company  to  get  my  thoughts  to 
myself,  and  sat  and  wrote  in  my  memorandum  book  what 
did  not  express  them.  I  hate  sentiment,  but  I  like  truth, 
and  if  ever  there  was  a  spot  in  which  the  world's  history 
centres,  it  is  this ;  a  memorable  day  it  must  be  to  any 
one  who  first  sees  these  stupendous  monuments  of  Roman 
greatness.  From  the  Coliseum  we  went  to  the  Baths  of 
TituSj  a  ruin  of  treble  interest ;  first,  on  the  slope    of  the 


3 1 2  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  IX. 

Esquiline,  north-east  of  the  Coliseum^  stood  the  house  of 
Meceenas,  Horace  and  VirgiFs  patron ;  then  the  Golden 
House,  or  Palace  of  Nero;  and  last  came  Titus,  who  en- 
larged this  bath_,  and  building  over  its  garden,  made  the 
whole  into  public  baths  of  gigantic  dimensions ;  here  some 
places  were  almost  carpeted  with  maiden-hair  fern ;  in  a 
painted  recess  we  saw  where  the  Laocoon  was  found ;  on  a 
roof  some  frescoes,  yet  visible,  from  which  Rafiaelle  took  his 
design  for  the  Loggie  in  the  Vatican.  After  this  we  went 
to  the  Villa  Ludovisi  on  the  Pincian,  and  saw  some  good 
statues,  especially  a  Gaul  killing  his  wife  and  himself,  said 
by  antiquaries  to  be  now  proved  to  be  a  portion  of  the 
group  to  which  the  so-called  Gladiator  belongs;  but  the 
gem  of  the  day  was  the  view  from  the  top  of  the  casino  in 
the  garden  of  the  villa.  Imagine  a  cloudless  ultramarine 
sky,  on  one  side  all  Rome  beneath  our  feet,  with  its 
hundred  domes  and  turrets  and  massive  palaces ;  south 
the  boundless  level  of  the  Campagna  towards  the  sea ; 
south-east  the  blue  Alban  Hills,  with  their  graceful  out- 
lines, dotted  with  white  villages  and  villas,  sinking  down 
north-east  to  the  valley,  where  the  road  to  Tivoli  goes ; 
and  then  the  glory  of  the  view,  the  splendid  Apennine 
range  rising  tier  over  tier,  clear  under  the  cloudless  sky; 
then  round  the  north,  seen  over  a  foreground  of  pines 
and  cypresses,  Soracte  unclad  from  snow,  Fidenee,  Veii, 
and  the  Etruscan  uplands  in  wavy,  hilly  unevenness,  till  a 
reach  of  the  yellow  Tiber  and  the  Monte  Mario  and  St. 
Peter's  and  the  Janiculum  bring  round  Rome  again.  It  is  a 
view  only  seen  once  in  a  life,  because  only  once  seen  first. 

"Feh.lQ. — Yesterday  we  went  to  the  Barberini  Palace, 
where  the  chief  feature  is  Beatrice  Cenci  by  Guide;  you 
know  it  by  copies,  but  all  copies  utterly  fail  to  render  the 
loveliness  and  sorrow  of  the  original.  She  appears  to  me 
much  younger  than  in  the  copies  ;  it  is  a  picture  of  almost 
childish  gaiety  and  innocence  trampled  out  and  turned  into 
involuntary  guilt  by  brutal  usage,  the  eyes  are  brimming 
over  with  unshed  tears ;  the  face  absolutely  saddened  with  in- 
tense suffering;  after  a  long  gaze  at  it,  I  should  be  disposed 


i86i]  Burying  Ground.  313 

to  call  it  the  first  in  point  of  efiective  expression  of  exist- 
ing portraits.  I  saw  here  a  curious  picture  of  Christ  among 
the  Doctors^  by  Albert  Diirer.  Our  Lord  is  a  mere  child, 
evidently  less  than  twelve  years  old.  He  has  red  hair,  and 
flowers  over  His  shoulders,  with  one  finger  on  the  thumb  of  the 
other  hand  as  if  disputing ;  and  near  Him  are  two  very  queer 
doctors,  that  on  the  left  hand  with  a  face  almost  like  a  baboon. 
Holman  Hunt  may  have  seen  this  picture  and  taken  a  hint 
from  it. 

"To-day,  Saturday  (16th),  we  have  been  to  the  Palazzo 
Rospigliosi  on  the  Quirinal,  to  see  the  famous  Aurora  of 
Guido ;  it  is  a  fresco  on  the  roof  of  a  casino  or  summer- 
house  in  a  very  pretty  garden,  approached  through  a  pergola 
of  orange  and  lemon  trees,  full  of  golden  fruit,  as  are  all 
those  which  abound  about  Kome  at  this  time  of  the  year. 
The  palace  is  on  the  site  of  the  Baths  of  Constantino,  and 
the  casino  is  richly  adorned  with  bas-reliefs  and  statues 
found  on  the  spot.  The  fresco  far  surpassed  my  expecta- 
tions. I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  it,  but  you  and  the 
dear  girls  must  come  and  see  it  for  yourselves  some  day. 
Thence  we  went  to  the  Palazzo  Sciarra  in  the  Corso,  where 
are  some  very  lovely  pictures.  The  famous  Bella  Donna  of 
Titian,  the  Violin-players  of  RaSaelle,  a  very  fine  picture 
called  Modesty  and  Vanity  by  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  and  a 
charming  St.  Sebastian  by  Pietro  Perugino,  Raffaelle^s 
master. 

"  Thence  we  drove  to  the  Protestant  Burying-ground,  near 
the  Porta  St.  Paolo;  the  old  pyramidal  tomb  of  Caius 
Cestius  points  it  out  in  the  views  of  Rome ;  it  is  a  lovely 
spot,  very  pretty   and  touching;  the   enclosed  violets    are 

from  K.  W.  R ^s  grave,  of  which  I  have  made  a  sketch. 

We  saw  many  tombs  of  interest  here;  Augustus  Harems, 
Shelley's,  and  Keats',  in  the  old  cemetery  near  the  pyramid. 
Then  we  went  to  the  restored  Basilica  of  St,  Paolo,  which 
was  one  of  the  most  interesting  churches  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Rome  before  it  was  burnt  in  1823;  it  has  been 
most  nobly  restored,  has  five  aisles  supported  by  rows  of 
twenty  granite  pillars,  and  over  these  are  medallions  of  all 


314  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

the  Popes  from  St.  Peter  to  Pio  Nono ;  next  we  went  to 
the  Pantheon ;  this  as  you  know  is  the  only  one  of  the  great 
buildings  of  Eome  which  has  remained  at  all  in  a  perfect 
state;  it  formed  most  probably  the  great  hall  of  the  Baths 
of  Agrippa^  whose  name  is  on  the  portico ;  it  is  round,  and 
with  a  flat  dome  having  a  round  opening  into  the  air;  its 
proportions  are  very  grand  and  beautiful.  The  interest  of 
it  is  that  all  the  marble  pillars  and  panels,  which  look  like 
modern  fittings  of  the  present  church,  are  ancient,  just  as 
they  were  in  old  Roman  times ;  showing,  which  is  a  fact 
worth  observing,  that  the  present  Roman  way  of  fitting  up 
with  marbles  is  really  nothing  but  a  continuation  of  the 
practice  which  prevailed  under  the  Empire.  In  the  Pantheon 
are  the  tombs  of  Rafiaelle,  and  Annibal  Carracci  and  seven 
other  paiuters. 

"Feb.  17. — We  have  been  to  the  Catacombs  of  St.  Ca- 
lixtus,  about  two  miles  out  on  the  Appian  Way.  The  sight 
is  very  curious  and  instructive ;  there  are  miles  upon  miles 
of  subterranean  passages  about  two  feet  wide  and  seven  or 
eight  high,  with  innumerable  little  recesses  in  the  walls  for 
the  bodies  which  were  buried  in  them  without  cofiins ;  some 
of  these  recesses  are  six  feet  long,  others  hardly  more 
than  one;  every  here  and  there  opens  out  some  family 
chapel  with  its  rude  altar  and  fresco,  with  ancient  Chris- 
tian devices,  most  of  these  emblematic  of  the  Resurrection. 
Jonah  is  a  very  favourite  device,  our  Lord  as  the  Good 
Shepherd,  &c. 

''Feb.  18. — The  Vatican  seems  almost  inexhaustible,  miles 
of  statues,  many  of  them  at  every  point  of  view ;  on  our 
first  day  we  simply  took  the  mountain  tops  so  to  speak, 
the  great  chef-cVoeuvres  which  all  the  world  knows;  very 
nicely  arranged,  and  only  first-rate  pictures ;  it  certainly  is 
an  event  in  one^s  life  when  one  stands  first  face  to  face 
with  such  a  picture  as  Rafiaelle^s  Transfiguration  ^.  I  have 
dwelt  long  on  this  picture,  perhaps  the  greatest  of  pictures. 


■•  The  full  description,  the  result  of  half  an  hour's  attentive  study  of  this 
great  picture,  is  published  in  "  Letters  from  Abroad,"  p.  66,  2nd  ed. 


i86t]  The  Vatican  Codex.  315 

because  I  felt  it  very  deeply^  and  never  understood  it  till  I 
saw  and  studied  the  original.  That  is  the  great  benefit 
among  many  other  great  benefits  of  coming  here,  that  for 
the  first  time  great  works  of  art  reveal  their  meaning  to 
one.  How  touching  to  think  that  this  picture  was  the  last 
thing  which  the  great  painter  was  employed  on,  that  it  was 
left  unfinished  at  his  death,  carried  before  his  corpse  at  his 
funeral ;  we  may  well  say,  may  he  have  found  that  peace 
and  consolation  in  Christ  which  his  last  hours  felt  could  be 
found  only  in  Him. 

"  Feh.  20. — At  ten  we  went  by  appointment  to  Monsignore 
Talbot  at  the  Vatican,  to  get  our  first  work  at  the  Codex 
Vaticanus.  He  went  with  us  to  the  Library,  and  the  cele- 
brated MS.  was  produced.  Then,  as  I  expected,  our 
difficulties  began  :  the  librarian  insisted  that  our  order  from 
Antonelli,  although  it  ran  '  per  verificare,^  to  verify  passages, 
only  extended  to  seeing  the  Codex,  not  to  using  it.  M. 
Talbot  pleaded  our  cause  well  and  strongly,  and  in  conse- 
quence we  were  allowed  to  use  it  for  that  morning  only, 
amounting  to  one  hour.  We  got  through  the  passages  in 
St.  Matthew "  about  which  there  is  any  doubt.  M.  Talbot 
promises  meantime  to  see  Antonelli,  and  get  us  a  special 
permission  to  work  at  the  Codex.  When  turned  out  we 
went  to  the  celebrated  Loggie  and  Stanze  of  Eafiaelle,  also 
in  the  Vatican ;  the  former,  one  gallery  running  round  the 
court  of  the  palace,  opened  to  the  air  till  the  last  few 
years,  but  now  glazed  to  preserve  the  frescoes,  the  sub- 
jects are  principally  from  the  Old  Testament  History;  the 
Stanze  are  a  series  of  rooms,  or  rather  halls,  containing 
very  large  fresco  pictures  on  the  walls,  nearly  all  by  the 
same  great  painter. 

"  The  Palace  of  the  Caesars  on  the  Palatine  is  the  ruin  of 


•*  Before  leaving  England  tlie  Dean  made  a  long  list  of  the  passages  which 
he  wished  to  consult  (see  5th  edition  of  Vol.  i.  of  the  Greek  Testament, 
pp.  108  and  146).  The  feelings  of  the  librarian  when  he  perceived  the  use 
which  the  Dean  made  of  the  Codex  were  only  mollified  by  Monsignore 
Talbot  remaining  on  this  occasion  within  sight  of  the  manuscript  and  its 
readers  as  long  as  it  was  in  their  hands. 


3i6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  IX. 

Eome  which  most  completely  gives  one  the  idea  of  devasta- 
tion and  overthrow.  Here  the  great  lords  of  the  world  for 
centuries  held  their  court ;  here  some  of  the  fearfullest  crimes 
in  history  were  perpetrated. 

"  Feb.  21. — The  Baths  of  Caracalla  are  a  vast  mass  of  ruin 
on  the  Appian  Way,  most  striking,  next,  if  not  equal,  in 
grandeur  to  the  Coliseum  j  great  halls  as  large  as  a  church 
one  after  another,  some  still  paved  with  the  old  mosaics. 
We  climbed  to  the  top,  and  sat  there.  Such  a  view  over  the 
Lateran  to  the  ever-glorious  Apennines,  over  the  Campagna 
to  the  Alban  Hills,  all  swimming  in  a  mist  of  heat,  and, 
over  all,  the  clear  blue  sky  of  this  delicious  climate ;  it  was 
one  of  our  ever-memorable  days. 

"  Feb.  22. — The  Forum  we  have  thoroughly  explored,made 
out  the  uncovered  foundations  of  the  old  buildings,  the 
Basilica  of  Julia,  Temples  of  Saturn,  Vespasian,  and  Concord, 
the  School  of  Xanthus,  the  Rostra,  and  the  marks  of  the  old 
stairs,  by  which  in  Republican  times  they  used  to  climb  to 
the  Capitol )  all  most  interesting.  On  our  return,  I  deviated 
from  the  rest,  and  came  upon  a  sight  which  I  shall  never 
forget.  A  procession  of  about  one  hundred  monks,  some 
with  long  cloaks  covering  their  faces  and  holes  for  their 
eyes,  and  others  holding  large  candles  lighted,  then  a  great 
gilded  bier,  and  on  it  a  young  girl  lying  dead,  white  and 
fair  as  wax,  her  face  exposed,  and  her  hands,  which  were 
joined  as  in  prayer  and  a  small  crucifix  in  them ;  the  proces- 
sion moved  along  singing ;  a  most  striking  sight  and  rare, 
as  only  very  old-fashioned  families  keep  up  the  custom. 

"Feb.  23.— To  the  Vatican.  The  'Shadow  veiled  from 
head  to  foot  who  keeps  the  keys  of  all  the  creeds '  did  not 
appear  till  nearly  ten ;  when  he  did  we  found  all  smoothed, 
and  a  fresh  order  from  Antonelli,  so  that  we  used  the  MS. 
all  the  time,  and  made  good  progress,  and  advanced  as  far  as 
Acts  vii.  I  have  been  all  through  the  list  twice,  and  made 
facsimile  copies  of  all  the  principal  various  readings. 

"At  the  Borghese  Palace  there  is  a  vast  collection  of 
beautiful  pictures;  twelve  rooms  full,  requiring  a  week's 
study.     We  have  seen  Gibson's  studio.     I  was  very  anxious 


i86i]  Exairsion  to  Alba7io.  317 

to  see  one  of  his  painted  statues.  It  is  known  that  the 
ancients  always  painted  their  statues^  and  Gibson  has  been 
the  first  to  revive  it.  I  must  own  that  I  am  quite  a  con- 
vert to  it.  Next  we  went  to  Miss  Hosmer's,  a  very  clever 
American  sculptress ;  some  of  her  works  are  most  lovely. 

"  We  have  seen  some  Columbaria^  one  on  the  Appian  Way 
very  large^  full  of  inscriptions ;  some  were  of  the  family  of 
NerOj  and  among  these  I  found  those  saluted  in  the  Epistle 
to  the  Romans,  ch.  xvi.,  Hermas,  Julia,  Tryphsena,  and 
Tryphosa*,  which  was  very  interesting,  showing  that  such 
names  existed  in  Nero^s  family.  The  same  day  we  saw  the 
Circus  of  Romulus,  and  the  so-called  Fountain  of  Egeria. 

"  Sunday,  Feb.  24. — I  went  to  the  early  Communion  at 
nine  and  the  morning  service  at  eleven,  then  home  for 
biscuits  and  off  for  a  walk  of  exploration;  first  for  the 
Church  of  Sta.  Croce  in  Gerusalemme,  founded  by  Helena, 
the  mother  of  Constantino,  and  built  on  earth  brought  from 
Jerusalem  and  mixed  in  the  foundations.  Then  we  went  out 
of  the  Porta  Maggiore,  the  finest  of  the  Roman  gates.  It 
was  a  portion  of  the  Claudian  Aqueduct,  the  hollow  ways  for 
the  water  yet  visible  above  it.  Thence  up  a  country  lane 
to  the  Basilica  of  St.  Lorenzo,  and  here  we  were  indeed 
repaid  for  our  walk.  The  Basilica  is  most  striking,  the 
most  so  of  all  the  smaller  ones.  The  ancient  Basilica,  now 
the  chancel,  is  excavated  about  ten  feet  beneath  the  present 
level.  There  is  a  remarkable  capital  of  a  column  here,  with 
a  frog  and  lizard,  showing  that  it  came  from  the  Portico  of 
Octavia. 

"  March  1. — Trench®,  Bullock,  and  I  started  off  for  Albano. 
A  day  among  a  thousand.  The  first  nine  miles  along  the 
Via  Appia  Nova,  nearly  parallel  with  the  old  Via  Appia,  the 
new  road  joining  the  old  near  the  '  Three  taverns '  which  St. 
Paul  passed  on  his  way  to  Rome.  Soon  after  the  eleventh 
milestone  we  began  to  mount  over  a  low  spur  of  the  hills,  on 


5  He  refers  to  this  discovery  iu  "  How  to  Study  the  New  Testament," 
Epistles,  1st  section,  p.  189. 

"  Then  Dean  of  Westminster,  now  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 


3i8  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IX. 

tlie  other  side  of  which  Albano  lies.  On  our  left,  on  a  brow, 
is  Castel  Gandolfo,  the  Pope's  country-house. 

"  At  Albano  we  got  a  guide  and  three  asses,  and  oj0f  we  set, 
as  queer  a  cavalcade  as  you  need  set  eyes  on.  So  we  went 
up  over  Castel  Gandolfo,  through  a  lane  darkly  bowered 
with  ilexes,  and  the  banks  bright  with  anemones,  red,  blue, 
and  white,  and  reached  a  brow,  and  looked  down  on  the 
Lake  of  Albano  lying  imbedded  in  hills  on  all  sides.  On  the 
right  Monte  Cavo,  the  old  Mons  Latium,  where  was  the 
temple  of  Jupiter  Latialis,  the  old  meeting-place  of  the 
Latin  tribes,  ruthlessly  destroyed  in  the  last  century  by 
Cardinal  York.  On  a  lower  ridge  lie  the  ruins  of  Alba 
Longa.  We  rode  down  to  see  the  famous  Emissary,  a  tunnel 
excavated  400  B.C.  to  let  out  the  waters  of  the  lake  and  keep 
them  at  a  certain  height;  a  work  as  perfect  now  as  2260 
years  ago.  We  then  returned  by  Genzano  and  Nemi,  cele- 
brated by  Lord  Byron  in  his  '  Childe  Harold.' 

"Sunday,  March  3. — The  occupation  of  writing  to  you  is 
ever  for  me  a  daily  pleasure.  I  am  holding  intercourse  with 
her  who  has  been  my  choice,  and  God's  choice  for  me,  to 
brighten  my  childhood,  to  stimulate  my  youth,  to  bless  my 
manhood,  and  to  cheer  my  advancing  years ;  but  I  did  not 
sit  down  to  write  a  love-letter,  so  let  me  to  my  tale.  I  am 
now  alone,  as  Bullock  has  returned  home.  To-morrow  I  go 
to  Tivoli ;  to-day,  having  a  few  minutes  to  spare  before 
church,  I  looked  into  a  church  very  near  here,  called  St. 
Andrea  delle  Frati,  known  in  the  history  of  modern  Romanism 
as  the  place  where  the  Virgin  is  said  to  have  appeared  to 
the  Jew  Eatisbonne  in  1 842  ;  there  is  a  picture  of  it  in  one  of 
the  side  chapels.  Then  to  church,  where  Trench  preached 
a  very  striking  sermon;  subject,  *^The  Question  of  the 
Philippian  Jailor.'  After  the  communion  (144  now,  and 
thirty  at  the  early  communion)  I  took  a  long  walk  outside  the 
Ponte  Molle,  leaving  Rome  by  the  Porta  del  Popolo,  and 
round  the  back  of  the  Monte  Mario.  The  views  were  more 
glorious  than  I  ever  remember  to  have  seen  them ;  it  is  a 
Tramontane  east  wind,  and  this  at  Rome  always  makes 
everything  clear. 


i86i]  Tivoli.  319 

"  In  the  evening  I  went  to  dine  in  a  quiet  way  witli  Mr. 
"Woodward,  the  chaplain  here,  meeting  the  Trenches. 

''  Tivoli,  Monday  Night,  March  4. — Here  I  am  in  the 
strangest  Httle  inn,  the  '  Osteria  della  Sibylla/  between  the 
Temples  of  Vesta  and  the  Sibyl,  right  over  the  falls.  But 
let  me  take  things  in  due  order.  At  seven  this  morning 
started  tout  seul,  for  the  first  fifteen  miles  over  the  Cam- 
pagna;  then  four  or  five  miles  are  spent  in  winding  up 
zigzags  through  an  oHve  wood,  Tivoli  being  situated  high 
up  on  one  side  of  a  ravine.  Some  of  the  olives  are  very  old 
and  gnarled,  and  put  me  in  mind  of  pictures  of  those  in  the 
Garden  of  Gethsemane.  At  length  we  passed  on  the  right 
the  enormous  ruins  of  the  Villa  of  Hadrian.  Tivoli  is  a  poor 
dirty  place ;  its  glory  is  in  the  cascades  and  grottoes,  and 
remains  of  some  very  beautiful  temples  and  villas.  The  old 
Roman  citizens  had  villas  very  thick  here,  and  the  place 
is  much  celebrated  in  the  poems  of  Horace  and  others. 
In  a  villa  here  many  of  the  best  works  of  art  were  found 
— the  Venus  de^  Medici,  the  Dying  Gladiator,  the  famous 
Mosaic  of  the  Doves  drinking  out  of  a  vase,  &c.  &c. 

"  The  place  is  one  roar  of  water,  but  the  present  great 
cascade  is  not  that  which  Horace  saw  and  celebrated.  In 
1826  a  flood  swept  away  the  channel  of  the  old  fall,  and  car- 
ried away  with  it  twenty-five  houses  and  a  church.  Gre- 
gory XVI.  tunnelled  the  rock,  and  made  the  waterfall  about 
200  yards  farther  up  the  ravine.  I  believe  it  is  a  much 
finer  fall  than  before,  but  one  would  have  liked  to  have  seen 
it  as  Horace  saw  it,  and  as  Quintilius  Varus  looked  on  it  the 
morning  he  left  his  villa  opposite,  to  take  the  command  of 
the  troops  in  Germany,  where  he  was  killed. 

''March  5. — I  have  been  to  see  all  there  is  to  be  seen, 
ending  with  the  grounds  of  the  Villa  d'Este,  where  I 
sketched,  and,  having  plenty  of  time,  coloured  my  sketch  on 
the  spot.  The  day  has  been  cloudless;  just  one  of  those 
days  I  so  much  enjoy,  a  time  of  wild  liberty — botanizing, 
sketching,  and  keeping  my  eyes  for  Nature  to  fill  them.  The 
view  of  Rome  from  here  I  shall  never  forget :  half  a  hundred 
of  domes,  towers,  and  palaces  glittering  in  the  evening  sun ; 


3  2 o  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  IX. 

the  Alban  Hills  clear  and  bright  beyond  the  Campagna^ 
which  last  is  in  the  perfection  of  its  green,  pink,  and  blue ; 
Hadrian's  Tomb,  the  Coliseum,  the  Pantheon,  the  Basilica 
of  Constantine,  dappled  with  their  sober  brown  the  yellow 
of  the  modern  buildings  ;  while  majestic  in  form  rises  the 
dome  of  St.  Peter's  far  to  the  right,  and  intermingled 
with  pines  and  cypresses.  It  is  indeed  a  sight  to  be  re- 
membered. 

''March  6. — To  the  Corsini  Palace.  Guide's  Ecce  Homo 
is  very  fine ;  the  divine  expression  is  caught :  a  most  speaking 
picture ;  but  it  struck  me  the  flesh  was-  too  feminine  and 
smooth  for  that  of  one  who  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head, 
and  must  have  been  weather-beaten  and  rough-lined  by 
sufiiering. 

"  A  fine  bit  of  rock  and  stream  by  Salvator  Eosa  I  saw  in 
this  collection ;  but  the  sky,  as  is  so  often  with  him,  is 
dashed  in,  in  blues  and  whites,  with  apparent  uselessness 
but  admirable  effect.  The  same  is  true  of  a  picture  close  to 
this,  where  each  horizontal  white  cloud  is  put  in  with  one 
stroke  of  the  brush. 

"March  7. — After  breakfast,  having  ascertained  that  the 
Frascati  Railway  train  went  at  twelve,  I  walked  ofi"  towards 
the  Porta  Maggiore,  doing  in  my  way  three  churches.  The 
first  was  the  church  of  the  Capuchin  Monks,  in  the  Piazza 
Barberini,  where  is  a  very  fine  picture,  by  Guide,  of  St. 
Michael  casting  down  Satan.  The  Archangel  is  serene  in 
youthful  beauty,  triumphant  but  calm,  and  has  been  well 
called  the  Apollo  Belvidere  of  the  Church.  The  Satan  is 
said  to  be  a  portrait  of  a  Cardinal  (afterwards  Innocent  XII.), 
who  in  some  way  annoyed  the  painter ;  but  the  curiosity  of 
this  church  is  the  crypt.  There  are  a  succession  of  little 
rooms,  laid  out  like  gardens,  with  earth  brought  from  Jeru- 
salem. The  little  flower-beds  are  all  graves.  All  round  the 
sides  of  the  rooms  are  horizontal  niches ;  in  these  lie  dried 
Capuchins;  some  few  are  upright.  The  arches,  niches, 
altars,  lamps,  railings,  cornices,  are  all  composed  of 
human  bones.  It  was  more  like  sporting  with  death  than 
anything  I  had  ever  seen,  and  yet  there  was  something  touch- 


i86i]  TtisciiliDU.  321 

ing  in  it.  After  this  I  turned  aside  to  the  Church  of  Sta. 
Pudentiana^  one  of  the  very  old  churches  in  Rome,  and  said 
to  stand  on  the  site  of  the  house  of  the  Senator  Pudens  (see 
2  Tim.  iv.  21),  with  whom  St.  Peter  lodged,  it  is  said.  In  the 
tribune  are  some  very  old  mosaics  of  the  ninth  century,  or 
earlier  perhaps,  far  bolder  and  more  expressive  than  any  I 
have  seen,  and  giving  me  a  far  higher  idea  of  art  at  that  time 
than  I  had  before. 

"  Then  off  to  Frascati,  twelve  miles  from  Rome  :  it  lies 
on  the  steep  slope  of  the  Alban  Hills.  It  may  always  be 
seen  from  Rome,  glittering  white  against  the  blue  hills  in 
this  clear  atmosphere.  There  is  a  long  ascent  before  reaching 
it,  as  at  Albano  and  Tivoli,  through  vineyards  and  olive- 
woods.  The  views-  from  Frascati  beat  those  from  Tivoli,  by 
the  very  circumstance  which  makes  Tivoli  superior  in  its 
own  scenery,  viz.  that  Tivoli  being  in  among  the  glorious 
Apennines,  one  loses  them  as  a  feature  in  the  views  of  the 
Campagna  from  it ;  but  from  Frascati  the  whole  lies  open  to 
view,  with  both  ranges  of  hills,  and  all  the  country  of  old 
classic  history.  Tlie  only  object  of  real  interest  near  Frascati 
is  Tusculum  ;  it  is  on  a  high  volcanic  hill  about  three  miles 
from  Frascati,  the  way  lying  through  the  grounds  of  a  villa 
belonging  to  Y.  B.  R.  D.  I.  (Victor  Emmanuele,  Re  d' Italia  : 
the  pass-word  here  at  Rome,  on  account  of  which  Verdi^s 
operas  are  foi-bidden  to  be  performed),  very  beautiful,  with 
increasingly  glorious  views  of  the  Campagna  and  Mediter- 
ranean, the  banks  quite  painted  with  violets,  red  anemones, 
squills,  and  periwinkles.  Up,  up,  up,  till  at  last  we  come  to 
the  ancient  pavement  of  the  Via  Latina,  actually  worn  into 
wheel-ruts  by  the  ancient  chariots  and  waggons.  It  was 
strange  to  think  of  Cicero  driving  up  his  biga  (or  buggy), 
with  his  head  full  of  Tusculan  Disputations.  We  passed 
what  they  call  his  Villa.  '  C'etait  un  Grand  Monsieur  ce 
Cicero,^  said  my  guide ;  "  il  etait  le  Premier  Consul  de  Rome.^ 
This  certainly  was  an  historical  '  find '  of  no  small  import- 
ance. We  mounted  again,  passing  a  nearly  perfect  stone 
theatre  and  more  ruins,  to  the  arx  or  keep  of  the  citadel  of 
old  Tusculum,  an  older  town  than  Rome.     The  view  from 

Y 


322  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap  IX. 

the  top  is  truly  magnificent,  tlie  crowning  point  certainly 
from  whicli  to  see  the  Campagna  and  its  mountains  and 
lakes.  We  could  see  all  the  range  of  the  Alban  and 
Volscian  and  Sabine  hills ;  Soracte  to  the  north,  and 
beyond,  the  mountains  on  the  way  to  Siena  and  Flo- 
rence ;  then,  following  westward,  Rome ;  the  glittering 
reaches  of  the  Anio,  as  it  flows  to  join  the  Tiber, 
and  of  the  Tiber  itself,  till  it  joins  the  sea;  then  the 
silver  shield  of  the  sea  itself,  reaching  right  up  into  the  sky. 
Beneath,  the  olive  woods  waved  like  a  grey  sea,  clothing  the 
base  of  the  hills ;  and  we  could  see,  gleaming  like  little  bits 
of  silver  in  the  green  Campagna,  the  lakes  of  Regillus  (ever 
memorable  for  the  battle  in  which  Castor  and  Pollux  are 
said  to  have  helped  the  Romans),  Gabii  (known  in  the  history 
of  the  Tarquins),  Bracciano,  &c. 

^^  On  the  8th  I  went  to  the  Capitol  to  see  the  pictures : 
they  are  not  many,  and  for  the  most  part  shabby  and  in  all 
conditions ;  but  I  liked  them  all  the  better,  as  they  have  not 
suffered  at  the  hands  of  restorers  and  re-painters.  There  is 
a  most  lovely  St.  Sebastian  by  Guide,  and  various  Guercinos, 
&c.  I  saw  also  the  Palazzo  Doria,  the  most  magnificent  of 
all  the  Roman  palaces,  and  with  hundreds  of  pictures,  multi- 
tudes of  second  and  third-rate  things ;  with,  however,  a  fair 
sprinkling  of  first-rate  things.  Titian^s  Magdalen  is  too 
much  like  a  country-girl.  .  .  .  Claude's  famous  Mill  very, 
very  beautiful,  let  Turner  and  Ruskin  say  what  they  will ; 
the  water  and  sky  seem  to  me  almost  perfect ;  considerably 
borrowed  from  the  Roman  Campagna  in  the  ruins  and  places, 
and  I  am  sure  I  discovered  Monte  Cavo  in  disguise.  The 
gem  of  this  collection  is  Leonardo  da  Vinci's  portrait  of 
Queen  Joanna  of  Aragon. 

"8th,  4  p.m.  (from  Note-book). — Coliseum;  I  am  sitting 
here  perhaps  for  the  last  time.  Strange  things  have  hap- 
pened since  Ignatius  was  torn  by  the  wild  beasts  here :  he 
may  have  breathed  his  soul  out  on  the  very  spot  where  I 
am  sitting.  I  own  I  have  bad  taste  enough  to  like  the 
presence  of  Christianity  here,  it  is  so  speaking  as  to  what 
has  passed,  and  to  itself  also. 


i86i]  The  PrcctoriaiL  Camp.  323 

"  A  procession  of  men  has  just  entered,  in  brown  cloaks 
covering  all  their  persons,  with  holes  cut  for  their  eyes,  and 
with  a  Capuchin  friar,  who  preached  a  sermon  from  the 
pulpit :  about  one  hundred  persons  were  present.  The  subject 
was  the  suflPerings  of  Christ  in  the  Garden  and  His  capture  by 
the  Jews ;  it  seemed  to  be  a  part  of  a  course,  and  the  appli- 
cation that  it  was  for  our  sins,  and  therefore  we  must  hate 
and  forsake  sin.  After  the  sermon  began  the  Via  Crucis, 
the  going  round  to  all  the  fourteen  stations,  which  they  are 
now  doing.  It  is  indeed  a  curious  and  instructive  sight,  full 
of  associations  of  the  past,  and  speculations  as  to  what 
may  be  in  store  for  the  future.  When  one  looks  at  the 
monstrous  state  of  things  here,  one  may  well  exclaim,  eco? 
TTore  Ysjvpie.  ['  How  long,  0  Lord  ?']  ;  but  when  I  see  the 
apparent  devotion  of  these  poor  people,  I  am  led  to  hope 
they  may  be  brought  to  a  purer  faith  without  the  terrible 
process  of  all  faith  being  broken  down.  The  enormous 
iniquities  of  this  place  smoke  to  heaven  and  demand 
vengeance,  which  may  not  be  long  delayed.  In  her 
was  found  the  blood  of  all  the  saints  from  Ignatius  to  the 
Waldenses. 

"  On  Saturday,  the  9th,  the  Villa  Borghese.  Beautiful 
grounds,  carpeted  with  anemones  and  daisies,  &c.  Then  I 
went  to  the  Praetorian  Camp,  an  interesting  spot,  for  one  of 
my  last  views  of  Rome.  St.  Paul's  bonds  were  known 
Iv  oXw  TM  irpancoplw^ .  Here  it  was  that  he  wrote  his  Epistle 
to  the  Philippians,  his  joyful,  tearful,  sad,  happy  letter,  when 
he  felt  that  life  was  Christ  and  death  gain.  Many  of  the 
vaults  remain  :  in  some  of  them  St.  Paul  may  have  been  con- 
fined when  God  spared  him,  'Cva  fir)  Xvtttjv  eTrl  Xuirrjv  o-)(0i  ^. 

"  Here,  where  I  am  looking  at  the  remains  of  an  ancient 
painting  on  the  carved  roof,  he  may  have  written  :^  eiridufilav 
eywv  eh  to  avaXvcraL  Kol  crvv  Xpiara  elvai.  Here,  where  he 
might  have  seen  athletes  depicted  running  on  the   ceiling, 


''  Phil.  i.  13.     "  In  all  the  jjalace." 

8  Phil.  ii.  27.     "  Lest  I  should  have  sorrow  upon  soiTOw." 

5  Phil.  i.  23.     "  Having  a  desire  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ.'' 

Y    2 


324  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

he  may  have  described  himself  as  forgetting  the  things 
behind,  and  reaching  forth  to  those  before^  for  the  prize  of 
his  high  calHng  in  Christ  Jesus. 

"  March  10. — My  last  day  in  Rome.  This  morning  I  saw 
the  relics  of  Becket,  two  pieces  of  linen  shirty  one  with  a  good- 
sized  stain  of  blood  on  it  :  besides  these,  there  was  a  small 
bag  of  blue  paper  tied  round  with  a  string  of  silk.  On  my 
asking  the  sacrist  what  these  were,  he  answered,  '  Piccoli 
pezzi  di  pietra  e  di  cerebello  e  sangue  di  S.  Tomasso/ 

"This  is,  at  all  events,  an  interesting  approximation  to 
the  question,  '  What  has  become  of  the  bits  cut  out  of  the 
stone  at  Canterbury  ?  ' 

'^  I  am  now  sitting  on  the  steps  of  St.  John  Lateran — sky 
cloudless,  the  Apennine  range  as  clear  as  it  can  be — a  lovely 
purple,  every  depression  marked  in  bright  blue  shadow ; 
straight  in  front  Sta.  Croce  in  Gerusalemme,  with  its  pictu- 
resque campanile ;  to  the  left  of  it  an  old  ruin,  the  Temple 
of  Venus  and  Cupid;  then  long  lines  of  wall  and  aqueducts 
form  the  interesting  middle  distance  between  me  and  the 
hills.  Nearer  are  groups  of  people  and  soldiers;  outside 
the  Porta  Maggiore  is  just  such  a  base  of  a  pillar  as 
the  Roman  one  lately  placed  ^  in  the  garden  near  the  Bap- 
tistery at  Canterbury." 

To  HIS  Wife  {continued). 

"  March  9. — Let  me  wind  up  this  voluminous  letter  and  our 
Roman  correspondence,  by  expressing  a  fervent  sense  of 
thankfulness  to  God  for  His  many  mercies  to  me.  During 
this  visit  to  the  centre  of  the  world's  history,  I  have  for  the 
most  part  been  thoroughly  well,  and  have  enjoyed  myself 
exceedingly ;  I  only  hope  the  effects  of  the  change  may  be 
long  and  effectually  visible  in  my  health.  Still  I  must  not 
expect  too  much,  during  the  last  two  days  my  head,  which 
I  thought  well,  has  begun  its  troublesome  buzzing  and 
giddiness  again;  but  I  am  willing  to  attribute  it  to  some 
passing  cause. '^ 


See  p.  301. 


i86i]  Siena.  325 

To  HIS  Wipe, 

"  Ma/i-ch  10. 

"  This  is  my  last  night  in  Eome,  and  I  am  tired  with 
packing,  but  I  cannot  help  writing  a  few  words  to  you  on 
this  day  before  it  ends^ — our  twenty-sixth  wedding  day !  We 
have  never  been  separated,  I  think,  on  one  of  them  before. 
May  God  unite  us  together,  and  if  it  please  Him,  give  us 
many  more  together ;  and,  above  all,  a  happy  eternity  here- 
after. I  am  returning  home  with  the  Trenches.  We  found 
the  boat  to  Leghorn  does  not  run,  except  the  Messageria 
boat  on  Wednesday,  which  will  be  too  late  for  us ;  so  we 
have  determined  to  exchange  the  perils  of  water  for  the 
perils  of  robbers,  and  post  by  land,  going  by  Siena  and 
Florence.  In  the  present  tempestuous  weather,  this  is  some 
relief,  and  I  fancy  the  danger  of  thieves  is  not  much." 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Bolsena,  March  11 ;  posted  at  Florence,  13. 

"  Here  we  are  more  than  seventy  miles  from  Rome,  having 
done  the  day^s  journey  rapidly  and  safely.  The  road  out  of 
Porta  del  Popolo  and  over  the  Ponte  Molle;  then  leaving  the 
Flaminian  just  the  other  side  of  the  Tiber,  and  taking  the 
Yia  Cassia  through  Baccano,  a  town  in  an  ancient  crater  of  a 
volcano,  through  a  beautiful  ravine,  over  a  long  mountain, 
and  down  again  to  Viterbo. 

"  Siena.  Here  we  are,  having  accomplished  all  the  sup- 
posed dangerous  road  without  an  adventure,  thank  God, 
and  that  in  two  days ;  the  Lake  at  Bolsena  was  a  fine  sight, 
foaming  and  roaring  in  the  early  morning ;  the  shores  of  the 
lake  are  desolated  by  malaria.  No  human  being  can  sleep 
a  night  on  them  in  summer  or  autumn.  Then  we  mounted 
up  through  bits  of  broken  volcanic  rocks  clothed  with 
gnarled  oaks,  very  picturesque,  and  just  like  the  fore- 
grounds of  Gaspar  Poussin  and  Salvator  Rosa,  to  a  village 
called  St.  Lorenzo  Nuovo,  built  by  Pope  Pius  VI.  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  old  St.  Lorenzo,  which  was  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake,  and  not  healthy.     We  then  crossed  a  valley  to 


326  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  IX. 

a  very  curious  place,  called  Acquapendente,  on  the  top  of  a 
ridge,  with  a  ravine  running  down  it ;  then  a  strange 
volcanic  mountainous  country,  and,  amidst  this,  we  climbed 
an  enormous  mountain  capped  with  wild  volcanic  rocks  to 
the  village  at  its  top,  called  Radiofani,  the  frontier  of 
Tuscany/^ 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"Florence,  March  13,  night. 

"  After  a  day  spent  in  seeing  Siena  and  getting  here  by 
rail. 

"At  Siena  we  sallied  out  after  breakfast;  first  to  the 
picture-gallery,  where  are  a  set  of  rooms  chronologically 
illustrating  the  Sienese  school  of  painters ;  most  interesting, 
with  fine  expressive  and  noble  faces  and  ideas.  This  school 
was  celebrated  for  extreme  care  in  representing  feeling  and 
devotion,  and  it  is  most  instructive  to  see  how  the  real 
genius  of  the  earlier  masters  degenerated  with  the  conven- 
tionalities of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  it  became  extin- 
guished altogether.  In  this  collection  is  a  grand  fresco,  by 
Sodoma,  Our  Lord  tied  to  the  Pillar ;  I  hardly  know  any 
thing  finer  than  this.  Then  we  went  to  see  the  Town  Hall, 
a  grand  old  building  with  a  high  tower ;  then  to  the 
Cathedral,  and  what  to  say  of  it  I  know  not ;  when  the 
west  front  burst  upon  me,  it  almost  took  away  my  breath ; 
imagine  a  front  something  like  Milan,  not  nearly  so  large, 
but  far  more  consistent  in  its  architectural  ornaments,  all 
built  of  the  richest  and  most  gorgeous-coloured  marble, 
glittering  in  the  sun  like  a  piece  of  enamel.  The  tower  and 
all  the  pinnacles  and  buttresses  are  of  black  and  white 
marble,  in  alternate  stripes,  so  that  the  efiect  is  rich  and 
gorgeous  beyond  description  j  the  case  is  the  same  inside, 
it  gives  one  the  idea  of  a  moderately  large  cathedral ;  but 
it  may  be  imagined  what  it  would  have  been  if  finished,  by 
the  fact  that  the  present  church  is  only  the  transept  of  the 
intended  cathedral ;  it  was  stopped  building  by  the  terrible 
plague,  called  the  'Black  Dcath,Mn  1356.'^ 


i86i]  Florence.  327 

To  HIS  Wipe. 

"  Florence,  March  14;  posted  at  Pisa,  ditto. 

"  This  lias  been  a  most  pleasant  day  and  a  most  bnsy  day 
too,  and  I  must  sit  down  as  usual  to  make  you  a  sharer  of 
it,  as  far  as  pen  and  ink  will  do  so.  I  rose  at  seven,  and 
sallied  out  to  face  a  bitterly  cold  morning,  and  to  make  out 
my  first  acquaintance  witb  La  bella  Firenze.  I  soon  made 
out  the  principal  points,  the  Arno  spanned  by  its  four 
bridges,  the  magnificent  Piazza  della  Signoria  with  the 
Palazzo  Vecchio,  the  Loggia  de  Lanzi,  and  the  Ufifizi,  and 
the  unrivalled  Cathedral,  all  this  I  soon  poked  out  by  the 
light  of  nature.  After  breakfast  I  lost  no  time  but  went 
at  once  to  the  Uflazi  or  Offices,  the  building  containing  the 
greatest  collection  of  pictures  and  statues ;  it  would  be  quite 
in  vain  to  attempt  to  go  through  all  that  struck  me  in  this 
noble  collection.  I  must  trust  to  my  note-book  aided 
by  photographs,  and  some  evenings  together  at  home^ 
please  God,  to  explain  what  I  thought  best  to  record  in  this 
my  first  and  very  cursory  view.  In  pictures  this  collection 
is  exceedingly  rich ;  the  JNIedici  were  noble  patrons  of  art  of 
every  kind,  and  the  authorities  have  kept  up  their  character 
with  spirit ;  some  of  Eafiaelle's  very  finest  pictures  are  hei-e. 
The  Madonna  del  Cardellino,  so  called  because  St.  John  is 
offering  a  goldfinch  to  our  Lord,  is  a  most  lovely  and  affect- 
ing picture,  about  which  I  shall  have  much  to  say  when  we 
meet.  In  the  same  octagonal  cabinet  which  contains  the 
Venus  de'  Medici  are  about  twenty  pictures,  enough  of  them- 
selves to  set  up  a  nation  with  a  fair  nucleus  of  a  gallery, 
and  five  or  six  ancient  statues  known  all  over  the  world, 
the  Wrestlers,  the  Slave  whetting  a  knife,  the  Apollo,  the 
Dancing  Faun,  &c.  And  there  are  hundreds  of  good 
pictures  besides  two  rooms  of  portraits  of  all  the  painters, 
and  some  most  interesting  sketches  of  drawings  by  the  old 
masters ;  in  fact,  it  is  a  gallery  requiring  weeks,  instead  of 
one  morning  to  see  it  in. 

This  done,  or  rather  not  done,  I  went  to  the  Cathedral :  what 
to  say  of  it  I  know  not,  it  is  quik'  in  its  own  way,  totally 


328  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

unlike  any  otlier  church  I  ever  saw,  both  inside  and  outside ; 
it  is  of  different  coloured  marbles ;  campanile  by  Giotto, 
and  all  from  the  south-east,  where  you  can  see  the  great 
dome,  the  largest  in  the  world  supported  by  its  lesser  but- 
tress domes.  The  windows  are  especially  glorious,  date 
1434,  done  by  a  Florentine  artist  at  Lubeck,  uniting  there- 
fore the  skill  of  Germany  with  the  art  of  Italy.  The  cam- 
panile in  the  background  is  a  sight  worth  coming  here  for, 
if  all  the  rest  of  Florence  were  nothing.  I  could  not  con- 
ceive any  church  on  earth  could  be  finer  for  grand  and  aw- 
ing ejffect,  the  western  sun  streaming  in  through  these  most 
lovely  stained  glass  windows.  Behind  the  high  altar  is  the 
last  finished  work  of  Michael  Angelo,  a  Pieta.  Thence  to 
the  Baptistery  far-famed  for  its  gates  of  Paradise^  (as  Michael 
Angelo  called  them). 

"  As  the  sun  was  about  to  set  I  took  a  fiacre  and  told 
the  man  to  drive  me  to  some  hill  near  the  city,  where  there 
was  the  best  view  of  it,  for  as  yet  I  had  no  idea  of  its  situa- 
tion ;  he  took  me  up  on  one  side  of  the  Porta  Romana,  where 
the  view  was  indeed  worth  the  ride  :  there  lay  Florence,  with 
its  domes  and  towers  in  a  basin  of  hills,  purple  with  the 
evening  light,  and  studded  with  white  villas,  and  surround- 
ing it  like  the  hills  about  Jerusalem.  Our  ride  issued  in  an 
engagement  for  him  to  take  me  out  to  Fiesole  to  breakfast 
to-morrow,  which  I  will  report  in  due  time.  Good  night,  my 
three  beloved  ones. 

"  Marcli  15. — This  morning  at  seven  coachee  appeared,  and 
we  set  off  to  Fiesole,  a  Tuscan  city  of  old  times,  now  a  mere 
village  on  a  high  hill  overhanging  Florence,  three  miles  off. 
The  view  is  very  striking,  of  Florence  and  all  the  country 
round.  There  cannot  be  a  greater  contrast  than  this  view 
and  Rome  with  its  desolate  Campagna;  here  it  is  populous 
even  to  spoiling  the  beauty  of  the  scene,  by  the  innumerable 
white  houses  and  villas  which  for  miles  and  miles  stud  the 


-  A  pair  of  bronze  doors  whicli  contain  twenty  compartments,  or  panels, 
fitted  with  as  many  reliefs,  consisting  of  scriptural  subjects,  besides  a  pro- 
fusion of  ornamental  work  in  the  intermediate  spaces,  executed  by  Lorenzo 
Ghiberti  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century. 


i86i]  Pisa.  329 

broad  Val  d^Arno.  Arrived  at  Fiesole,  I  tliouglit  of  Mil- 
ton's lines  ^  about  Galileo^ — 

"  Thi-ough  optic  glass  the  Tuscan  artist  views 
At  evening  from  the  top  of  Fiesole," — 

as  I  stood  on  tlie  summit  and  looked  on  tbe  whole  broad 
vieWj  a  famous  place  for  star-gazing.  I  went  with,  a  guide 
to  see  the  old  Etruscan  walls  of  the  city,  and  the  remains  of 
an  amphitheatre,  and  then  to  a  humble  little  inn  to  get 
some  ca^e  au  lait,  which  the  padrona  brought  me  in  a 
tumbler-glass;  then  back  to  Florence  in  less  time  as  you 
may  imagine  than  we  came,  and  in  to  see  the  famous  Church 
of  Santa  Croce,  full  of  illustrious  tombs — Dante,  Galileo, 
Alfieri,  and  others,  and  some  frescoes  by  early  painters; 
then  to  the  famous  picture-gallery  in  the  Pitti  Palace,  late 
the  residence  of  the  Grand  Duke. 

It  is  even  a  finer  collection  than  that  of  the  Uffizi,  com- 
prising many  first-rate  pictures  of  Eaffaelle,  Perugino,  Sal- 
vator  Eosa,  Fra  Bartolomeo,  Andrea  del  Sarto,  &c.  Here 
is  the  famous  Madonna  della  Seggiola,  the  round  picture 
of  the  Holy  Family,  with  which  we  are  all  so  well  ac- 
quainted ;  here  also  is  Eaffaelle' s  little  picture  of  the  Vision 
of  Ezekiel ;  the  Three  Fates,  by  Michael  Angelo ;  a  grand 
picture  of  St.  Mark,  by  Fra  Bartolomeo,  Here  too,  among 
many  other  notable  pictures,  is  a  portrait  of  Oliver  Crom- 
well, by  Sir  Peter  Lely,  painted  by  order  of  the  Protector, 
and  sent  by  him  as  a  present  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tus- 
cany. You  may  well  suppose  how  tantalizing  it  was  to  run 
through  such  a  Gallery  in  a  couple  of  hours,  as  I  v/as  obhged 
to  do. 

"Pisa,  March  16. — As  soon  as  we  came  here  last  night,  I 
just  walked  out  to  see  the  Cathedral  and  Leaning  Tower, 
and  got  them  finely  illuminated  by  the  sloping  sun ;  the 
whole  cou'p  d'oeil,  Cathedral,  Baptistery,  and  Campanile  is  one 
I  should  think  unrivalled  in  the  world.  I  thought  I  was 
familiar  with  the  lean  of  the  Campanile,  the  domed  Baptistery, 
the  outline  of  the  Cathedral,  and  the  low  wall  of  the  Campo 


3   "  Paradise  Lost,"  Book  i.  line  288.     Milton  visited  Italy  in  1038. 


330  '  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  IX. 

Santo,  and  yet  how  different  all  and  eacli  of  these  now 
appeared ;  I  was  not  prepared  to  see  such  lovely  play  of  colour 
on  the  old  walls,  nor  to  find  them  thrown  brightly  out  by 
such  a  fine  background  of  purple  blue  hills,  or  that  their 
former  rectangular  lines  would  be  relieved  by  such  a  strange 
sharp  outline  which  is  traced  behind  them  on  the  cloudless 
sky.  The  Tower  leans  very  much  more  than  I  had  imagined, 
and  certainly  does  look  very  funny ;  it  is  a  curious  proof  of 
men's  confidence  that  what  has  been  will  be,  that  a  house 
nestles  close  under  the  dangerous  side  of  the  Tower.  I  got 
up  this  morning  at  six,  and  found  the  ground  white  with 
frost,  and  the  sun  just  rising ;  and  went  out  and  thoroughly 
examined  the  Cathedral,  which  is  very  curious  indeed ;  the 
Baptistery  and  Campo  Santo,  or  cloistered  burying-ground  of 
Pisa,  where  we  have  impressed  on  the  walls  in  the  coloured 
characters  of  fresco-painting,  the  quaint  ideas  of  the  Old 
Pisan  school  of  painters  with  regard  to  Scripture  history, 
and  to  the  life  and  death  and  future  of  Man.  This  cloister 
surrounds  an  oblong  court,  the  earth  of  which  was  brought 
from  Jerusalem. 

^'  Spezzia,  March  16. — The  road  from  Pisa  to  this  place  is 
dull  for  the  first  part  of  the  way ;  we  passed  through  Massa, 
in  sight  of  the  marble  quarries  of  Carrara,  and  then  the  view 
became  very  grand  indeed.  The  mountains  rising  tier  above 
tier,  the  higher  ones  covered  with  snow.  Some  time  after 
Massa,  very  picturesque  old  towns  and  castles  began  to  appear, 
perched  on  the  lovely  hills,  and  at  last  the  mountains  fairly 
came  across  in  front  and  blocked  up  the  way.  The  road 
winds  up  a  gentle  rise  for  some  miles,  the  banks  covered  with 
primroses,  anemones,  periwinkles,  euphorbias,  coronellas, 
and  a  white  heath  like  the  Cornish  one  in  full  bloom;  the 
hedges  here  are  mainly  composed  of  myrtles.  Arriving 
at  the  brow,  the  road  winds  down  on  the  lovely  Gulf  of 
Spezzia,  and  I  don't  suppose  the  world  can  furnish  a  more 
beautiful  scene  than  it  presented  when  we  drove  down  into 
it ;  for  us  the  sun  had  set  owing  to  the  mountains  behind, 
but  on  the  opposite  coast  and  distant  mountains  he  was 
still   shining.       The    snow-capped    mountains    were-  of  the 


i86t]  Spezzia.  331 

most  delicious  rosy  pink^  very  faint,  with  tlie  snow  in  white 
streaks ;  then  this  pink  increased  in  depth  and  glow  in 
the  middle  distance,  till  the  near  coast  which  was  yellow 
and  red,  dappled  with  forest  and  town;  and  all  this  was 
reflected  in  the  glassy  calm  gulf,  which  leapt  and  twinkled 
with  hues  almost  prismatic. 

"  In  the  Gulf  lay  two  Italian  men-of-war,  their  hulls  and 
rigging  reflected  on  the  water.  It  was  a  scene  never  to 
forget;  if  my  hand  can  do  it,  I  will  try  to  give  some 
notion  of  it  in  colour.  The  Gulf  is  a  most  magnificent 
harbour;  it  would  hold,  they  say,  all  the  fleets  in  the  world. 
We  mean  to  have  an  English  service  in  our  rooms  to- 
morrow morning,  and  have  sent  round  to  the  other  hotels 
notice  to  say  so. 

"  Sundaij  evening,  March  17. — We  have  spent  a  delightful 
day  in  this  most  lovely  place ;  at  seven,  I  sallied  out  and 
climbed  a  little  way  up  the  Olive  Terrace,  and  it  was  well 
I  did,  for  the  view  we  saw  last  night  has  not  shown  since. 
Our  congregation  consisted  of  an  English  father  and  mother 
and  daughter,  an  American  ditto,  and  a  Westminster  ditto  ; 
strange  enough  that  three  exactly  alike  should  meet.  Trench 
read  prayers  and  I  preached.  Then  I  climbed  again  to  an 
old  castle  on  one  of  the  Peaks  with  the  Dean  and  Mrs. 
Trench ;  and  after  lunch  I  went  out  alone  for  a  regular  long 
ramble,  up  one  of  the  dozen  lovely  glens  which  meet  here. 
I  never  saw  anything  more  beautiful  in  my  life ;  imagine 
the  dry  bed  of  a  torrent  such  as  that  at  Invermoriston  near 
the  Caledonian  Canal,  but  composed  of  all  manner  of  coloured 
marbles  in  rocks  of  every  fantastic  shape,  the  chinks  of  the 
sides  filled  with  wild  flowers,  primroses,  pink  anemones, 
blue  periwinkles,  and  white  and  red  heath  in  full  blossom, 
and  fringed  with  whole  copses  of  myrtle  and  laurustinus  also 
in  full  blossom,  while  a  chorus  of  birds  sung  all  around,  and 
the  bells  from  churches  perched  about  on  the  heights  were 
swinging  with  their  lively  sound.  I  took  out  my  tin  box, 
and  filled  it  with  many  beautiful  flowers  and  roots  ;  ceterach 
and  trichomanes  clothed  every  wall;  on  the  grass  I  found  the 
spider  orchis,  and  a  curious  pitcher-plant,  a  sort  of  arum. 


332  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  IX. 

and  the  blue  bachelors^  button ;  there  I  stayed  botanizing 
and  meditating  till  approaching  tahle  d'hote,  and  an  approach- 
ing shower  also  sent  me  back  faster  than  I  came,  which  was 
natural,  the  climb  being  tremendous,  the  shower  came  fast 
and  furious  as  I  stood  into  Spezzia,  laden  with  heath  and 
myrtle,  &c. 

"  As  to  our  plans.  We  reach  Genoa  (D.V.)  to-morrow 
evening,  and  stay  till  Tuesday  five  p.m.,  for  which  I  am  glad, 
as  I  never  saw  it ;  and  then  start  by  express  through  Turin 
and  Susa  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Cenis.  Then  cross  next  day, 
which  takes  twelve  hours,  to  St.  Jean  de  Maurienne,  where 
the  rail  begins,  and  there  sleep.  Then  on  Thursday  to 
Macon,  where  the  Trenches  stay ;  but  if  I  am  in  good  order 
I  shall  probably  post  on  to  Paris  all  night,  as  I  want  a  day 
there.  To  make  safe,  in  case  this  letter  should  not  reach,  I 
will  telegraph  from  Paris  about  my  return. 

''  Send  all  my  letters  and  a  waste-paper  basket  in  the 
carriage  to  Dover,  then  I  shall  gain  time  and  know  what  is 
doing ;  and  let  me  have  a  note  to  say  how  all  is  going  on. 

"  If  either  of  the  dear  girls  like  to  come  down,  tant  mieux; 
but  if  it  will  be  awkward  waiting  about,  don^t  suppose  I 
expect  it,  or  consider  it  a  thing  of  necessity.  We  have  only 
just  missed  an  earthquake  here. 

"  P.S. — Genoa,  March  19. — Got  here  in  safety  about  eight 
last  night,  after  eighteen  hours  posting  through,  for  the  most 
part,  most  lovely  scenery.  We  got  a  mountain  storm  of  east 
wind  and  hail,  which  nearly  took  the  carriage  off  its  wheels, 
but  when  we  came  down  to  the  shore  the  roads  were  dusty. 
The  road  baffles  all  description  in  beauty :  it  keeps  the 
coast,  now  on  the  level,  now  winding  up  the  promontories. 
The  hedges  are  of  aloes  and  orange,  trees  thick  with  fruit 
hanging  over,  and  the  grand  waves  tumbling  in  evermore 
on  the  left,  in  phosphoric  sparkles  along  the  shore.  Genoa 
is  a  city  of  palaces  spread  along  the  shore,  and  up  the 
mountain  streets,  narrow  but  grand." 

Journal. 

''  After  sleeping  at  Susa,  where  we  arrived  from  Genoa  at 


i86i]  Mont  Cenis.  333 

midnight,  we  started  at  nine  a.m.  to  cross.  Tliere  had  been 
during  the  night  a  tremendous  hurricane,  accompanied  at 
Susa  by  rain  in  torrents,  and  on  the  mountains  by  a  deep 
fall  of  snow.  We  had  five  miles  in  our  carriage,  winding  up 
by  steep  ascents,  with  splendid  views  of  the  valley  and  Susa 
to  the  first  relay ;  then  we  were  told  that  further  progress 
was  impossible.  The  diligence  due  at  three  a.m.  had  not  yet 
arrived,  and  in  fact  nothing  had  come  from  the  top  ;  all  was 
stopped.  So  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  for  us  to  stop  too. 
This  we  did  for  nearly  three  hours,  during  which  time  we 
lunched  and  I  took  a  coloured  sketch  and  finished  it.  At  last 
the  diligence  arrived;  \h^condxide%ir  reporting  that  passing 
was  impossible,  for  the  quantite  de  niege  was  enonne,  and  the 
wind  liorrihlcinent  fort.  On  this  we  started,  and  a  mile  or 
two  higher  exchanged  our  carriage  for  a  sledge,  as  we  were 
now  on  the  edge  of  the  snow.  We  very  soon  came  to  large 
drifts  quite  obstructing  the  road,  and  in  some  cases  rising 
twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  it.  The  passing  over  these  was  cer- 
tainly formidable  enough,  the  road  itself  being  only  a  ledge  in 
the  precipice  cut  in  zigzags,  a  great  drift  had  spread  itself 
down  over  the  brow  covering  all  the  zigzags.  Along  the 
steep  surface  of  this  snow  a  track  had  been  extemporized, 
generally  sloping  considerably  outwards,  and  sometimes 
covering  itself  by  new  drifts. 

"  To  keep  our  sledge  from  falling  over,  we  had  two  wild 
but  most  efficient  fellows  from  among  the  Cantoniers  of 
the  road  to  hold  us  up ;  and,  but  for  them,  we  should  cer- 
tainly have  been  over  more  than  once.  At  one  place,  just 
past  the  barrier  at  the  summit,  we  hung  partly  over  the 
edge,  and  the  men  showed  some  anxiety,  calling  out  '  Faites 
attention '  to  the  postilHon,  and  it  was  not  till  they  had 
fastened  both  traces  to  one  side  and  pulled  us  round  sideways 
that  we  got  right  again.  At  last  we  began  to  descend  over 
great  plains  of  snow  and  through  forests  of  zigzags,  which, 
with  our  horses  reduced  to  one,  we  trotted  very  rapidly  down, 
and  arrived  mercifully  preserved  at  Lans  le  Bourg,  where  we 
slept  at  a  nasty  inn.  Glad  enough,  and  thankful,  especially 
when  we  heard  that  last  night^s   diligence,  which  preceded 


334  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

us^  had  got  into  the  worst  of  the  storm,  and  had  been  turned 
over  down  one  of  the  slopes  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  It 
fell  sixty  or  seventy  feet,  and  then  rested  on  the  snow,  no 
one  being  badly  hurt. 

'^  The  scenery  was  very  grand,  but  we  could  not  enjoy  it 
much  from  the  constant  risk  of  impending  danger. 

"  Happily  the  wind  had  fallen  before  we  passed,  so  we  were 
spared  that  element  of  peril.  Mrs.  and  Miss  Trench  behaved 
admirably,  though  of  course  thoroughly  frightened." 

He  reached  England  on  Saturday,  March  23.  In  his  way 
through  Paris  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  great  ecclesiastical 
warehouse  of  the  Abbe  Migne,  which  then  stood  in  the  Eue 
D'Amboise,  outside  the  Barriere  d'Enfer.  There  he  bought 
all  that  was  published  of  the  Abbe's  "  Patrologia,"  a  series 
of  Greek  and  Latin  Fathers,  amounting,  with  some  subsequent 
additions,  to  upwards  of  380  volumes,  and  extending  over 
1 200  years.  This  valuable  acquisition  was  not  likely  to  lie  idle 
in  his  library.  On  April  1,  writing  to  his  friend,  the  Kev.  W. 
H.  Gurney,  he  says,  "  I  am  just  setting  to  work  at  an  English 
critical  edition  of  the  New  Testament  with  a  popular  Com- 
mentary /'  and  on  April  5  he  heard  from  his  publisher  that 
a  new  edition  was  already  wanted  of  the  Second  Part  of 
Vol.  iv.  of  the  Greek  Testament,  which  had  been  only  pub- 
lished two  months  previously. 

He  took  his  family  to  town  at  the  end  of  May  for  a  fort- 
night. "Heard  Mendelssohn's  ^Antigone'  on  June  1  ;'^  and 
on  the  following  day,  after  preaching  in  Quebec  Chapel  in 
the  morning,  he  "  heard  Mr.  Liddon  preach  at  Westminster 
Abbey  in  the  evening  a  most  striking  sermon."  On  the  5th 
"  we  went  to  the  opening  of  the  Horticultural  Gardens ; 
Prince  Consort  there,  with  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Prince 
Louis  of  Hesse.     The  Prince  Consort  planted  a  tree." 

On  the  9th  he  was  invited  for  the  first  time  to  preach 
before  the  Queen.  "The  Prince  Consort,  the  King  of  the 
Belgians,  the  Princess  Alice,  and  the  Prince  Louis  of  Hesse, 
were  present  with  Her  Majesty."  His  text  was  1  John  iii.  18*. 


•*  Not  long  afterwards  this  sormon  gave  occasion  to  a  clever  quotation. 


1 86 t]  Cathedral  Restoration.  335 

In  the  course  of  tlie  fortniglit  he  visited  the  Royal 
Academy  and  National  Gallery,,  and  received  some  in- 
struction in  water-colours  from  Mr.  Burrell  Smithy  with 
whom  he  went  to  spend  a  day  in  Richmond  Park  in  sketch- 
ing. 

He  returned  to  his  Canterbury  ordinary  work  ;  but  his 
health  was  not  in  a  perfectly  satisfactory  state.  He  re- 
cords July  4,  "  awkward  giddiness  in  the  head ;  I  must  be 
careful  in  diet  and  prepare  to  be  ready  for  death.-*'  A  few 
days  afterwards  he  went  with  his  younger  daughter  to 
Winchester  on  a  visit  to  Dr.  (now  Bishop)  Moberly,  and 
there  he  was  introduced  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keble,  At  the 
end  of  July^  Canterbury  was  the  appointed  place  for  a 
meeting  of  members  of  the  medical  profession^  and  the 
Deanery  was  not  backward  in  contributing  to  their  hospitable 
reception. 

About  this  time  a  plan  was  under  consideration  for  ex- 
tensive repairs  of  the  Cathedral  which  cost  him  some  anxiety 
and  perhaps  contributed  to  his  uneasiness  about  his  health. 
It  fell  to  his  lot  to  hear  a  sermon  which  he  describes  as 
wandering  from  its  proposed  object,  and  '^really  levelled 
at  the  cathedral  and  all  connected  with  it,  assuming  that 
none  had  any  religion  who  cared  anything  for  the  beauty 
of  nature  or  art,  or  for  the  regularity  or  decency  of  Church 
ordinances.  O  when  will  better  days  dawn  on  our  poor 
Church  ?'' 

On  the  1st  of  August  he  made  an  effort  to  go  to  the 
house  of  his  friend  Sir  Culling  Eardley,  at  the  dedication 
of  a  church  built  under  peculiar  circumstances,  where 
he  says,  "  did  not  preach  the  written  sermon  I  had  pre- 
pared, but  an  extempore  one."  At  a  Bible  Meeting  here 
he  met  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (Dr  Sumner),  Lord 
Chancellor  Cranworth,  and  some  eminent  Nonconformist 
ministers. 


A  clerical  friend  under  the  pressure  of  sudden  illness  asked  the  Dean  to 
preach  for  him.  This  sermon  was  delivered  accordingly  to  a  less  select 
congregation  than  that  for  which  it  was  written.  The  clergyman  thanked 
my  husband  for  having  "  tuned  to  please  a  peasant's  ear,  the  harp  a  king 
had  loved  to  hear." 


336  Life  ofDeari  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

He  soon  returned  to  his  ordinary  work,  the  composition 
of  sermons,  and  the  preparation  of  new  editions  of  portions 
of  his  Greek  Testament,  but  it  is  now  described  in  his 
journal  as  '^  harassing. ^^ 

At  the  end  of  August  we  all  went  for  a  holiday  to  the 
Lake  country,  spending  a  day  at  Doncaster  (Dr.  Vaughan^s) 
by  the  way.  A  little  cottage,  Loughrigg,  was  engaged 
for  six  weeks  through  the  kind  help  of  Mrs.  Arnold.  It 
was  on  the  bank  of  the  Rothay,  and  about  half  a  mile  from 
Eydal  Chapel.  Next  to  sketching,  my  husband's  chief 
amusement  was  the  completion  of  his  translation  of  the  first 
half  of  the  Odyssey,  which  was  published  after  our  return 
to  Canterbury.  A  few  extracts  from  his  journal  will  shoy/ 
how  the  time  passed,  and  they  may  be  suitably  prefaced  by 
a  letter  which  I  received  a  few  months  ago  from  Miss  R. 
Quillinan,  with  whom  and  with  Mrs.  Arnold,  we  enjoyed 
much  friendly  intercourse  in  this  holiday. 

"  Well  indeed  do  we  both  remember  your  sojourn  in  our 
sweet  valley,  when  we  were  such  near  neighbours,  and  so 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  friendly  little  meetings  we  occasion- 
ally had  with  your  gifted  husband,  his  wife  and  daughters. 
One  evening  comes  back  vividly  before  me,  which  we  spent 
at  Fox  How,  when  we  all  joined  in  a  poetical  game,  and 
Dean  Alford  was  so  kind  and  entertaining,  and  read  out  our 
productions  so  delightfully,  that  they  sounded  much  better 
than  we  had  ventured  to  expect ;  and  again  when  Miss 
Arnold  and  I  were  walking  together  to  Bydal  Chapel,  he 
ran  out  from  Loughrigg  Cottage  and  gave  me  the  poem 
so  kindly  composed  for  my  album  ^ 

"  I  recollect  his  saying  that  it  partly  came  into  his  mind 
whilst  listeuing  to  a  peculiarly  depressing  sermon,  and 
certainly  the  latter  part  of  Dean  Alford's  verses  is  a  complete 
antidote 

"  The  last  time  we  met  was  upon  the  occasion  of  your 
eldest  daughter's  wedding  in  Canterbury's  glorious  cathe- 


"  Life's  Question,"  Poems,  p.  334. 


i86i]  The  Eng/isk  Lakes.  337 

dral^  when  we  were  kindly  invited  to  a  ciiarming  oratorio, 
held  in  the  Chapter  House.  We  adjourned  to  the  Deanery 
afterwards  to  supper." 

JOUENAL. 

"  Sept.  7. — Expedition  to  Langdale^  the  same  we  took  in 
1838 ;  sketched  under  difficulties^  the  weather  is  so  wet ;  first 
my  umbrella^  then  my  sketching  folio  fell  into  Dungeon  Ghyll. 

''  Sej)t.  20. — Fishing  and  sketching,  and  very  busy  with 
my  Odyssey.  Dined  at  the  Arnolds',  Fox  How,  and  met 
many  of  their  nice  neighbours. 

*"'  Sept.  26. — To  Coniston,  driving  by  Tarn  Hawes,  where 
we  had  a  most  splendid  view  of  the  mountains ;  Langdale 
Pikes,  Coniston  Old  Man  ;  by  train  to  Furness  Abbey. 

"  8ept.  28. — Drove  to  Easedale  and  lunched  at  Lancrigg, 
Sir  John  ®  and  Lady  Eichardson's  pretty  place  ;  on  our  return 
looked  at  Wordsworth's  grave  in  Grasmere  churchyard. 

*'  Oct.  2. — Walked  on  the  terrace  towards  Grasmere.  In 
the  evening  to  Doves-nest  [where  once  Mrs.  Hemans  lived 
for  a  time],  now  the  abode  of  Miss  Napier  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graves  ;  met  many  people  there. 

"  Oct.  4. — Though  wet,  to  Buttermere,  where  we  slept ; 
the  next  day  to  see  Scale  Force,  Honister  Crag,  and  Borrow- 
dale ;  splendid  scenery,  saw  Lodore,  Skiddaw,  &c.,  which 
looked  most  beautiful  at  sunset. 

"  Oct.  9. — Went  to  the  Arnolds'  to  play  croquet ;  before, 
called  at  Rydal  Mount,  and  Mrs.  Hill  most  kindly  took  us 
all  over  the  grounds.  Twenty-three  years  ago  Fanny  and 
I  saw  these  grounds ;  then  Wordsworth  was  living  there. 

"  Oct.  14. — Sketched  above  Fox  Ghyll,  in  the  evening 
drank  tea  at  the  Arnolds' ;  met  several  of  our  neighbours, 
and  had  an  amusing  round  of  the  American  game. 

"  Oct.  17. — Sketched  three  hours  at  Yewdale  and  on  to 
Coniston ;  for  a  wonder,  glorious  day,  thank  God  for  it, 

"  Oct.  1 8. — Drove  to  Grasmere  up  Dunmail  Raise,  and  turned 
up  St.  John's  Vale,  lunched  in  drizzling  rain  under  somerocks." 


^  He  was  associated  -with  Sir  Jolin  Franklin  in  the  Polar  Expedition,  and 
in  old  age  went  in  search  of  him.     He  died  in  1865  at  Lancrigg. 

Z 


3  3 8  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [Chap.  IX. 

Soon  after  our  return  from  the  Lakes  tlie  Deanery  received 
a  guest,  in  intercourse  with  whom  my  husband  always  found 
great  pleasure. 

"  IStOv.  7. — At  three  Dr.  Tregelles  came,  a  most  wonderful 
man  for  information  on  all  subjects.  I  took  him  to  see  the 
library  and  the  lions.     He  kept  us  amused  during  his  visit. 

"  Nov.  8. — There  was  a  meeting  in  St.  Augustine's  Hall 
to  hear  Dr.  Camilleri's  statement  about  religion  in  Italy. 
He  and  the  Warden  of  St.  Augustine's,  Mr,  Butler  of 
St.  Thomas'  Hill,  and  Hake,  dined  at  the  Deanery.  Dr. 
Tregelles  most  amusing." 

Through  these  months  the  journal  supplies  frequent 
evidence  of  overwork.  At  the  end  of  the  year  the  following 
entry  occurs  : — 

"  How  many  mercies  have  followed  me  through  this  year. 
I  have  visited  the  wondrous  Rome,  one  great  wish  of  my 
life,  and  have  had  a  very  pleasant  autumn  at  the  Lakes  with 
my  dear  ones  in  good  health ;  my  situation  here  is  one  of 
comfort  and  honour,  and  I  am  surrounded  by  mercies. 
May  I  be  found  ready,  so  that  when  He  calls,  I  may  joyfully 
answer.  Every  year  after  fifty  is  a  new  blessing,  which  I 
have  no  right  to  expect." 

But  a  fortnight  before  this  was  written,  an  event  occurred 
which  agitated  all  England,  and  long  fixed  the  attention  of 
loyal  hearts  on  that  house  of  mourning,  in  which  the  chief 
sorrow  was  borne  by  the  Queen. 

My  husband  writes  in  his  journal : — 

"  Sundmj,  Dee.  15. — As  I  was  going  up  to  the  communion 
rails,  to  take  my  part  in  the  Communion  Service  in  the 
cathedral,  I  was  told  by  a  verger  of  the  death  of  the  Prince 
Consort.  My  voice  faltered  so  much  whilst  I  was  reading, 
Fanny  was  frightened.  I  changed  the  music  to  a  solemn 
tune,  and  made  an  allusion  to  the  subject  in  my  afternoon 
sermon  ^.     Poor  Queen  ! 


7  [Printed in  "  Sermons  on  Christian  Doctrine."]  "But  though  my  time 
is  run  out,  and  I  have  said  what  I  had  to  say  on  my  subject,  none  of  you 
I  am  sure  will  to-day  grudge  me  a  few  minutes  more.  I  little  knew  when  I 
wrote  of  times  of  national  dejection  what  deep  occasion  we  should  have  for 
it  before  that  sentence  was  uttered  here.     A  prince  and  a  great  man  has 


i86i]  Death  of  Prince  Albert.  339 

"  Toll  from  out  thy  towei's,  toll  on,  thou  old  cathedral, 
Filling  the  ambient  air  with  softest  pulses  of  sorrow; 
Toll  out  a  nation's  grief  dole  for  the  wail  of  the  people. 
Bursting  hearts  have  play'd  with  words  in  the  wildness  of  anguish, 
Gather'd  the  bitter  herbs  that  grew  in  the  valley  of  mourning, 
Turn'd  the  darksome  flowers  in  wreaths  for  the  wept,  the  lost  one. 
Toll  for  the  tale  that  is  told,  but  more  for  the  tale  left  untold; 
Toll  for  the  unreturning,  but  toll  tenfold  for  the  mourning  ; 
Toll  for  the  Prince  that  is  gone,  but  more  for  the  house  that  is  widow'd." 

In  the  above  unfinished  lines  he  expressed  his  first  feel- 
ings. Some  hexameters  which  are  included  in  his  Letter  to 
America  ("  Poems/^  pp.  340),  refer  to  the  same  event : — 

"  Full  in  the  midst  of  all  our  calm  when  we  thought  us  securest. 
Came  the  angel  of  death  and  smote  our  sovereign's  household, 
Smote  the  stay  of  the  throne — the  wise  and  faithful  adviser : 
Left  our  Pi-inces  fatherless — left  our  Queen  a  widow. 
Never  in  history's  day  have  a  people  mom-n'd  as  we  did. 
All  to  this  hour  is  black  in  Church  and  home  and  assembly  ; 
All  speak  sad  and  soft,  and  pray  each  day  for  the  mourners." 

The  following  extracts  from  the  sermon  which  he  preached 
in  Canterbury  Cathedral,  on  Dec.  23,  shows  his  estimate  of  the 
results  of  the  Prince  Consort^s  public  life  (pp.  13 — 17)  : — 

"  He  came  to  us  in  ]  840,  fresh  from  a  liberal  education ; 
and  in  becoming  one  of  us,  and  that  in  an  undefined  and 
exceedingly  difiicult  position,  he  determined  to  bend  the 
great  powers  of  his  mind,  and  to  use  the  influence  of  his 
exalted  station  to  do  us  good.  The  early  days  of  his  resi- 
dence among  us  were  cast  upon  troubled  times ;  the  gloomy 
years  between  1840 — 1848.  First,  before  we  speak  directly 
of  his    great    national  work,    deserves   mention   the   high 


this  day  fallen  in  Israel.  At  the  very  time  when  the  vessel  of  the  state 
requires  most  careful  guidance,  and  none  can  tell  what  dangers  are  before 
her,  one  of  those  nearest  the  helm  has  been  mysteriously  snatched  away, 
when  none  thought  it,  when  it  seemed  as  if  unbroken  prosperity  were 
almost  the  heritage  of  our  royal  family.  In  one  night  our  princely  house  is 
fatherless,  our  queen  a  widow.  I  pause  not  to  day  to  draw  out  the  solemn 
lessons  which  such  an  event  suggests.  The  blow  is  too  fresh,  the  effect  too 
numbing  just  now.  All  I  say  is  this  :  first,  pray  loyally,  fervently,  con- 
stantly, for  her  whose  gi-ief  is  now  uppermost  in  all  our  thoughts  ;  and, 
secondly,  waken  more  than  ever  at  this  solemn  moment  to  the  claim  of  our 
national  Christian  duties.  Let  not  the  astonishment  of  your  jjresent  grief 
supersede  your  zeal  for  God's  work  to  which  you  are  called  ;  rather  let  the 
softened  heart,  the  stricken  spirit,  acknowledge  God  as  nearer.  His  voice 
as  more  plainly  heard  :  and  may  this  and  all  other  duties  to  which  He 
summons  you,  make  you  more  ready  to  say,  '  Lord,  what  wouldst  Thou 
have  me  to  do  ?  '  " 

z  2 


340  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IX. 

example  of  tliat  royal  houseliold,  whose  unstained  purity^ 
and  ever  cautious  and  punctual  propriety  in  all  civil  and 
Christian  duties^  has  been  to  this  people  a  greater  source  of 
blessing  than  we  can  appreciate.  At  last  the  hour  of  trial 
came^  and  the  eventful  year  1848,  which  overturned  so  many 
thrones^  passed  powerless  over  our  favoured  land.  Our  royal 
house  was  beyond  danger^  for  its  foundations  rested  in  the 
hearts  and  prayers  of  the  people.  And  now  a  period  of  calm 
succeeded,  during  which  our  Princess  designs  for  the  good 
of  our  people  found  scope  and  time  to  unfold  themselves. 

"The  Great  Exhibition  of  1851,  the  effects  of  which  for 
good  have  been  so  many  and  so  universally  acknowledged, 
is  believed  to  have  been  his  own  conception ;  and  the  plan 
of  it,  though  filled  in  by  many  able  hands,  was  sketched  out 
by  himself  and  constantly  presided  over  and  brought  to 
maturity  by  his  unwearied  care.  The  event  of  that  year 
opened  to  us  views  with  regard  to  the  intercourse  and  inter- 
dependence of  foreign  nations  and  ourselves,  unknown  to 
English  minds  before,  and  suggested  to  us  improvements 
which  have  shown  new  paths  of  industry  and  advancement 
to  thousands  of  families  among  us.  To  him  we  owe,  as  a 
direct  consequence  of  this  his  plan,  our  Schools  of  Design, 
which  have  called  out  so  many  a  dormant  mind,  and  brought 
blessing  and  competence  to  so  many  a  household  in  the 
lower  ranks  of  life.  Of  one  great  society,  the  '  Society  for 
the  Encouragement  of  Arts,  Manufactures,  and  Commerce,' 
he  was,  to  the  last,  the  active  and  indefatigable  President. 

"  Only  a  week  before  his  death,  he  determined  an  im- 
portant point  connected  with  the  building  designed  for  the 
Exhibition  of  this  year.  Besides  these  efforts  you  will  all 
remember  the  interest  which  he  took  in  our  agricultural 
progress,  and  in  a  matter  of  more  vital  import  to  our 
national  well-being — the  better  construction  for  decency 
and  comfort,  of  the  cottages  of  the  labouring  classes.  He 
has  left  us  his  views  to  be  carried  out,  his  schemes  to  be 
completed,  his  example  to  be  followed.  Each  citizen,  each 
head  of  a  family,  ought  long  to  remember,  and  will  long 
remember,  the  lessons  of  his  life :  we  shall  not  go   back 


i86i]  Prince  Albert.  341 

again  from  the  higher  level  to  which  he  has  raised  us^  but 
shall^  I  am  persuaded^  go  on  in  the  same  course,  with  more 
earnest  endeavour,  with  more  scrupulous  anxiety,  because  to 
all  other  motives  is  added  that  of  not  doing  dishonour  to  his 
memory,  nor  violence  to  what  were  his  known  wishes/' 

A  few  years  afterwards  when  he  had  to  lay  out  a  plan  for 
filling  with  images  the  numerous  niches  at  the  west  end  of 
Canterbury  Cathedral,  he  assigned  a  position  in  one  of  them 
for  a  statue  of  the  Prince,  where  it  was  placed  by  the 
liberality  of  her  Majesty,  opposite  to  one  of  herself. 

This  sad  event  was  not  forgotten  even  in  the  midst  of  his 
hours  of  relaxation,  as  will  appear  from  the  following  letters 
which  he  wrote  to  his  brother,  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford,  who  was 
then  sojourning  with  some  pupils  at  Nice ;  and  whose 
glowing  descriptions  gave  the  first  suggestion  to  those 
later  tours,  of  which  my  husband's  book  on  "  The  Riviera  " 
(published  in  1870)  is  a  memorial. 

To  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford. 

"  Dec.  29, 1861. 

"  Thanks  for  your  journals  and  letters.  I'll  tell  you  what 
it  is :  your  descriptions  of  Nice  are  so  nice  that  they  make 
my  mouth  water.  Why,  if  nobody  else  won't  come  with  me, 
why  I  shall  take  two  Sundays  out  of  Lent,  and  run  away 
from  Monday  till  it's  Saturday  fortnight,  and  get  ten  days' 
roaming  and  sketching  about  your  parts. 

"  Well,  we  have  been  in  sad  trouble  here  about  our  poor 
Prince  :  it  is  a  terrible  blow,  and  the  loss  will  be  spread  over 
years  to  come.  The  Queen  bears  up  very  tolerably,  I  hear,  and 
the  family  are  admirable.  You  never  saw  anything  like  the 
sorrow  here  in  England.  I  remember  nothing  like  it  since 
the  Princess  Charlotte's  death,  1817,  which  I  do  remember 
well.  On  Monday,  23rd,  the  day  of  the  funeral,  we  had  our 
morning  prayer  here  at  eleven.  I  preached  a  sermon,  which 
I  will  send  you  in  due  time  by  book-post,  with  another 
preached  this  afternoon.  The  cathedral  was  crowded :  the 
Mayor  and  Corporation  and  all  Canterbury  attended.  We 
are  all  hung  with  black,  every  bit  of  red  in  the  choir  covered. 


342  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

We  know  nothing  as  yet  about  war  with  Anierica_,  but  all  is 
unfavourable  that  leaks  out.  We  give  our  Christmas  treat 
to  the  choristers,  but  our  theatricals,  as  also  those  of  the 
King's  School,  are  given  up  on  account  of  the  Prince's  death. 
"  Three  days'  frost  last  week  brought  about  visions  of 
skating  again ;  but  it  all  gave  way,  strange  to  say,  before  a 
north-east  wind,  and  to-day  it  is  as  raw  as  a  cab-horse's 
hips.  All  well ;  the  Dean  better  than  usual,  and  painting 
at  leisure  hours  a  large  sunny  picture  of  Thirlmere  and 
St.  John's  Yale.  I  certainly  will  come,  please  God,  and  beat 
up  your  quarters  ere  long." 

To  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford. 

"/an.  12,  1862. 

"  It  is  really  and  truly  my  intention  to  give  you  a  look  in 
March.  Here  we  have  had  no  winter ;  in  Paris  they  are 
and  have  been  skating,  and  the  same  has  been  the  case  in 
Somersetshire,  but  not  in  Kent,  I  think.  I  shall  sleep  at 
Sens  the  first  night,  and  not  in  Paris.  In  Sens  is  a 
cathedral  I  wish  to  see  :  it  is  said  to  be  very  like  Canterbury. 

"You  inquire  about  our  poor  Prince.  The  man's  real 
worth  now  comes  out.  He  certainly  was  an  immense  benefit 
to  our  national  tastes  and  habits :  the  greatest,  I  have  ven- 
tured to  say  in  my  printed  sermon,  since  the  great  Alfred ; 
and  it  is  strictly  true,  no  royal  personage  has  ever  given 
himself  up  as  he  did  to  exalt  the  standard  of  taste  and 
comfort,^  and  to  promote  intercourse  with  other  nations. 
The  Exhibition  of  1851  was  his  idea,  and  has  been,  for  the 
effect  it  has  produced,  the  greatest  of  our  times.  This 
coming  one,  too,  which  will  be  even  greater,  was  promoted 
by  him,  though  he  was  not  exactly  on  the  Commission.  The 
Queen  is  behaving  admirably.  You  see  we  are  out  of  our 
great  Yankee  fix ;  and,  what  is  even  more  wonderful,  it  was 
taken  sensibly  by  them  from  the  first,  as  the  correspondence 
showeth.  Since  you  left  I  have  finished  and  framed  a  big 
picture,  and  I  have  now  in  hand  another  of  the  Campagna, ' 
from  the  back  of  Monte  Mario  :  a  bright  afternoon  mist. 
Won't  I  get  some  sketches  of  your  glorious  country !    Your 


1 862]  Dmth  of  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Gurney.  343 

description  makes  my  mouth  water.     The  world  is  at  issue 
about  my  Odyssey  :  high  praise  and  high  blame/^ 

His  own  state  of  health  was  far  from  satisfactory,  and  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  pay  a  short  visit  to  the  attractive 
country  where  his  brother  was  staying.  Two  sorrowful 
occurrences  in  his  own  circle  of  friends  are  recorded  in  the 

following  letter : — 

"  March  7- 

"...  All  is  well  at  home  except  that  Paterfamilias  is 
out  of  sorts,  not  up  to  work,  and  sadly  wants  change.  Out 
of  doors  very  bad  things  are  going  on.  Mrs.  Stanley  died  on 
Wednesday,  after  only  a  week^s  illness.  The  Queen  was  most 
kind,  and  offered  to  telegraph  for  her  son,  but  it  would  have 
been  no  good,  he  was  gone  so  far  up  the  Nile.  Poor  Gui-ney 
is  very  ill,  and  in  great  danger :  there  have  been  prayers  for 
him  in  the  Marylebone  churches.  He  came  here  to  lecture 
on  Monday  week  on  '  The  Letters  of  the  Poets,'  but  was  so 
poorly  I  was  obliged  to  read  the  lecture  for  him.  Next 
morning  he  returned  to  his  doctor,  and  ever  since  has  been 
in  the  same  low  way ;  no  rest,  no  food ;  typhoid  fever  has  set 
in,  and  I  much  fear  the  worst.  How  he  will  be  missed  by 
his  family  and  parish  and  friends  !  So  it  really  seems  as  if 
gloom  was  gathering  round;  but  God  rules,  and  we  are  all 
in  His  hands.'' 

This  apprehension  was  too  soon  justified  by  the  event. 
Mr.  Gurney  died  a  few  days  afterwards.  In  a  letter  written, 
on  March  16,    to   the  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton,   my  husband 


"  What  a  loss  we  have  had  in  poor  dear  Gurney  !  Who 
would  have  thought  that  his  strong,  heroic,  useful  course 
would  come  so  suddenly  to  an  end  ?  Where  shall  we  find 
such  another  man,  who,  with  all  his  faults,  was  almost  the 
only  bold,  fearless  assertor  of  what  he  held  to  be  truth, 
in  the  present  miserable  days,  when  men  pick  their  ways 
among  safe  professions  of  opinion,  and  conceal  their  real 
views  of  things  ?  You  probably  heard  of  his  coming  down 
to  Canterbury ;  how  he  was  too  ill  to  give  the  lecture  him, 
self,  and  I  gave  it  for  him.     His  two  girls  were  with  him. 


344  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

and  they  were  to  have  stayed  with  us  some  days ;  but  on  the 
Tuesday  morning  he  thought,  and  I  thought,  that  he  had 
much  better  get  back  without  delay,  to  see  doctors,  and  get 
to  the  bottom  of  his  illness.  He  had  had  no  sleep  and  no 
appetite  for  a  week,  and  his  tongue  was  as  white  as  snow ; 
so  he  went  on  Tuesday  at  noon.  We  had  much  talk  before 
he  went,  and  he  left  in  good  spirits.  I  was  never  to  see  him 
again.  There  is  hardly  any  man  who  could  be  worse  spared, 
in  spite  of  many  eccentricities  and  prejudices,  than  our  poor 
friend.  It  is  indeed  a  mysterious  and  most  afflicting  dis- 
pensation of  Him  whose  ways  are  not  our  ways,  and  whose 
judgments  are  past  finding  out." 

The  same  letter  refers  to  another  event,  our  daughter 
Alice's  engagement  to  the  Eev.  W.  T.  Bullock  : — 

^'  I  have  not  seen  you  since  our  dear  Alice's  engagement. 
We  have  every  reason  to  be  thankful  for  it  .  .  .;  and  I  do 
believe  she,  and  we  all,  will  have  reason  to  bless  God  to  all 
eternity  that  the  engagement  has  been  made.  All  details 
have  probably  been  told  you  by  your  girls." 

When  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his  daughter  she 
was  on  a  visit  to  the  family  of  her  future  husband : — 

"  I  half  regret  going  to  Nice,  and  thus  losing  a  month  of 
my  dear  girFs  last  spring  at  home  ;  but  then  another  thought 
came,  that  I  should  enjoy  more  the  four  months  coming. 
Your  empty  room  makes  me  quite  sad.  The  day  brings  its 
work  and  its  church,  and  its  saunter  to  Mrs.  Baker's  wood. 
With  the  '  Lady  of  Garaye'  en  foche,  and  another  slim  little 
lady  in  my  thoughts,  and  my  heart  seething  like  a  kettle,  I 
thought  of  the  day  when  the  little  feeble  cry  first  sounded  in 
my  ears,  and  I  thought  on  and  on,  all  the  way  through  all 
our  daily  joys  and  loves  and  our  two  great  sweeps  of  sorrow, 
and  then  all  these  undeserved  mercies  here,  our  talks  before 
the  Communion,  &c." 

And  a  little  later,  in  a  letter  written  to  her  from  Nice,  he 
speaks  in  the  same  strain  : — 

To  HIS  Daughter  Alice. 
"  This  place  is  not  picturesque,  but  has  a  sort  of  dreary 


1862]  Cathedral  at  Sens.  345 

uniformity  and  propriety  about  it.  In  front  of  the  high  row 
of  houses  in  which  the  Hotel  des  Princes  forms  one^  is  a  row 
of  low  houses,  with  a  public  walk  on  the  top  of  them  as  at 
Genoa,  below  them  a  public  road,  below  that  the  beach. 
The  boys  here  are  good  and  nice,  what  is  called  retiring, 
which  means  that  they  wear  their  social  sides  inwards.  I  must 

comply  with  poor 's  request ;  I  cannot  find  in  my  heart 

to  refuse  him,  and  will  write  by  this  post  to  arrange  it.  I 
hope  all  is  right  about  his  prospects,  but  that  is  his  concern 
not  mine.     Mine  is  to  help  my  friend,  and  leave  the  issue 

with  Him  who  knows  the  hearts Many,  many  thanks 

for  your  nice  note,  which  breathed  gentle  balm  into  the 
paternal  heart,  the  one  fortress  in  the  vaunted  quadrilateral 
which  has  fallen  before  the  foe.  Ah,  dear  child,  it  will  be 
void  indeed.  For  who  is  it  that  has  ever  been  my  playful 
companion  in  all  my  little  lovings  and  pursuits,  to  whom 
else  did  I  ever  take  flower  or  leaf  or  insect,  sure  of  a  kindling 
eye,  and  of  a  present  interest,  and  where  shall  I  take  them 
now  ?  .  .   .  .  With  all  love,  thy  sorrowing  ancestor.^^ 

He  set  off  on  March  10  for  his  journey  to  Nice,  the  course 
of  which  is  thus  recorded  in  his  journal : — 

''March  11.— The  cathedral  of  Sens  is  a  sad  degeneracy 
from  ours  :  like  it  in  some  particulars,  e.  g.  the  apse  in  the 
choir,  but  evidently  later,  the  Geometrical  Early  English  as 
we  call  it  prevails  over  our  chaster  Late  Norman,  and  the 
height  is  not  much  more  than  half  ours,  which  is  low  enough. 
The  most  interesting  resemblance  was  in  the  four  windows 
of  the  nave  of  the  choir,  which  I  believe  must  have  come 
from  the  same  manufactory  as  ours  in  the  same  situation,  in 
the  treasury ;  they  have  some  of  Thomas  a  Becket^s  orna- 
ments, his  chasuble  and  various  other  treasures  in  the  relic 

line The  fine  old   Christian   city  of  Vienne  looked 

very  striking  in  its  basin  in  the  broad  gleaming  Rhone. 

"  March  26. — Nice  is  surrounded  by  the  queerest  country, 
a  land  of  yellow  ridges  of  earth  and  pebbles,  sometimes 
hardened  into  a  kind  of  conglomerate  stone,  and  channelled 
deep  by  water-courses  into  hollow  gullies;  the  walks  are 
up  steep   paths,  strong  and  earthy,  and  all    kinds  of  wild 


34^  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  IX. 

aromatic  shrubs  and  flowers  grow  by  the  side  of  them ;  here 
geraniums  are  in  full  flower  in  the  gardens^  almond  and 
peach-trees  covered  with  bloom_,  and  the  whole  place  smells 
of  violets.  St.  Remo  is  a  most  curious  place,  said  to  be  the 
warmest  in  the  Riviera,  only  here  do  the  dates  ripen  upon 
the  palms ;  the  old  town  is  built  upon  a  very  steep  hill,  with 
the  cathedral  at  the  top.  The  streets  are  like  those  at  Clo- 
velly,  but  dark,  going  under  arches  continually;  every  now 
and  then  ycu  look  through  an  opening  into  a  torrent  with 
quaint  old  bridges  and  houses  hanging  over  it.  Along  the 
coast  to  St.  Remo  is  very  beautiful,  some  of  it  literally 
answering  to  its  name  the  Corniche,  being  a  shelf  in  the 
mountain  right  over  the  sea.  We  pass  Ventimiglia  and  Bor- 
dighera :  the  former  was  the  ancient  Intermelium,  and  was 
where  Agricola  was  born,  and  where  his  mother  was  mur- 
dered by  some  marauding  troops  of  Others.  Bordighera  is 
the  place  where  the  inhabitants  have  the  privilege  of  fur- 
nishing the  palms  at  Rome. 

"April  1. — Set  ofi"  at  seven  with  Mrs.  Bryant  and  her 
friend  from  Cannes,  but  delayed  three  hours  for  want  of 
horses ;  took  a  walk  and  found  out  Lord  Brougham's  villa, 
and  took  a  sketch^.  The  Estrell  is  clothed  with  cork  trees 
and  white  heath. 

"  Ajyril  2. — Left  Mrs.  Bryant  at  Toulon  and  started  alone 
for  Paris  at  eight  p.m. ;  beautiful  night,  Marseilles,  Aries, 
Avignon,  Orange,  all  by  star-light.  At  Valence  the  day 
broke,  the  loveliest  of  morning  lights  over  the  Rhone,  and 
its  hills  glowing  in  the  risen  sun ;  Vienne  picturesque  as 
always,  Lyons  a  rushing  whirl  of  gathering  smoke,  and  here 
am  I  at  8.40  flying  past  Villefranche  writing  this  in  the 
rolling  train  with  diSiculty.'' 


s  This  drawing  lias  a  subsequent  history.  It  was  sent  many  months 
afterwards  to  the  Amateur  Exhibition  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Distressed 
Operatives  of  Lancashire,  where  it  was  sold  for  ten  pounds.  In  a  review  of 
the  exhibition  in  "  The  Reader,"  it  was  thus  noticed  : — "  The  Dean  of  Can- 
terbury wins  our  approval  by  his  grappling,  and  not  im successfully,  with  a 
most  difficult  subject,  '  Waiting  for  Horses  at  Cannes.  A  fine  day  after  all.' 
While  occupied  with  his  serious  work,  he  has  ever  welcomed  the  artist 
faculty,  which  would  have  made  him  a  great  landscape  painter,  had  he  not, 
either  from  preference  or  necessity,  become  a  great  Greek  scholar  and  a 
Dean." 


1 862]  The  Rev.  J .  H.  Gzirjiey.  347 

To  HIS  Wipe. 

"  JVice. 

"  It  will  not  do  for  me  to  remain  long  at  Canterbury  at 
a  time.  If  I  could  get  some  place  with  good  air  to  run 
away  to  now  and  then,  I  think  I  could  hold  out,  but  without 
that  I  am  sure  I  cannot,  A  few  weeks  more  as  I  was  when 
I  left  home  I  should  get  past  the  point  of  rallying. 

"  What  a  loss  we  have  had  in  poor  Gurney  !  where  can 
such  another  honest  man  be  found,  where  such  another  an- 
tagonist of  bumptious  bishops  and  dilettanti  deans  ?  it  is 
indeed  a  grievous  blow  to  us  all,  and  a  warning  to  us  who 
are  left  behind.  I  should  have  exceedingly  liked  to  preach 
his  funeral  sermon,  but  now  of  course  it  is  impossible.  You 
cannot  think  what  a  change  even  these  three  days  have  made 
in  me  in  a  country  '  ever  charming,  ever  new.^  May  the 
effect  of  the  present  journey  be  to  strengthen  and  restore 
me  for  God^s  work  as  long  as  He  will  have  me  to  do  it  here 
on  earth.'' 

To  THE  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan. 

"  Mce,  March  18. 

''  1  am  out  here  for  a  fortnight  to  see  my  brother  and  to 
recruit  my  health  after  a  winter's  work  at  Canterbury,  the 
climate  of  which  always  tries  me  if  I  remain  as  long  as  five 
months  at  a  time.  What  a  loss  London  and  Christendom 
have  had  in  poor  Gurney  !  He  was  with  us  at  Canterbury 
ten  days  before  he  died ;  who  can  tell  what  meeting  in  this 
world  may  become  a  solemn  one  by  being  the  last  ?  He  was 
full  of  sympathy,  full  of  burning  zeal  for  justness  and  fair- 
ness, and  it  is  indeed  a  loss  to  sit  down  and  weep  over,  did 
we  not  know  that  there  is  no  chance  in  the  event,  but  that 
One  has  taken  him  from  us,  who  knows  what  is  good  for 

him  and  for  us As  to  Alice,   God  has  been   very 

merciful  to  us  in  this  matter  of  our  dear  child's  engagement; 

our  hearts  are  brimming  over  with  gratitude There 

are  not  six  men  living  to  whom  I  could  with  comfort  leave 
my  Greek  Testament  in  charge.  Bullock  is  one  of  them 
— need  I  say  who  is  another  V 


348  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  IX. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  Nice,  on  the  5th  of  April,  he 
published  his  eighth  volume  of  Sermons,  ''  On  Christian  Doc- 
trine,'' which  had  been  preached  chiefly  on  Sunday  after- 
noons in  Canterbury  Cathedral.  Describing  them  in  a  letter 
to  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton,  he  says,  "  They  were  indirectly 
provoked  by  '  Essays  and  Reviews.'  ''  He  prefixed  to  them 
a  touching  dedication  to  the  Christian  memory  of  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  J.  H.  Gurney  (see  page  343). 

In  April  he  visited  Oxford,  to  take  part  in  a  course  of 
Lenten  sermons  at  St.  Mary's  Church  ;  and  in  the  following 
month  he  went  with  our  daughter  Alice  to  spend  a  week  in 
the  friendly  rectory  of  Loughborough,  and  in  the  neighbour- 
hood which  was  endeared  to  us  by  the  recollections  of 
eighteen  years. 

Our  home  at  Canterbury  received  a  welcome  visitor  in 
Mr.  Lowes  Dickinson,  who  was  engaged  in  a  painting  of  our 
two  daughters,  and  who  gave  my  husband  useful  sugges- 
tions for  his  improvement  in  what  was  now  his  favourite 
relaxation,  drawing  in  water-colours. 

On  the  1st  of  July  the  important  domestic  incident,  for 
which  we  had  long  been  preparing,  took  place — the  first 
marriage  in  our  family.  My  husband  thus  records  it  in  his 
journal : — 

"  July  1 . — Dearest  Alice  married ;  she  came  down  to 
prayers  and  breakfast  as  usual.  At  eleven  we  went  to  the 
Cathedral,  general  company  first,  then  groomsmen  with  the 
twelve  bridesmaids,  and  Alice  and  I  bringing  up  the  rear. 
All  went  off  most  nicely.  In  church  Dr.  Russell  read  the 
greater  part.  I  joined  their  hands  and  blessed  them. 
Psalms  chanted  ;  I  took  the  choral  part.  Then  the  break- 
fast, most  successful.'' 

The  following  letter,  written  two  days  afterwards,  carries 
on  the  story  of  the  wedding-day  : — 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"Juhj3,  1862. 
"  After  our  eminently  successful  day  on  Tuesday,  and  when 
you  were  no  more  amongst  us,  we  adjourned  to  a  levee  of 


1862]  Eldest  Daughter  s  Marriage.  349 

King  Croquet.  Then  came  the  concert,,  which  was  a  great 
success ;  the  music  well  performed^  and  the  Chapter  House 
full^  but  not  overflowing ;  then  the  '  Middle  Passage '  to 
the  Deanerjj  and  to  supper,  also  very  successful. 

"  And  so  what  was  to  be  has  been,  and  now  you  are  a  mar- 
ried woman,  entered  into  the  higher  and  more  perfect  state  of 
human  existence,  and  responsibility,  and  blessing.  Yours 
has  been  a  singularly  happy  lot  through  your  life,  chequered, 
it  is  true,  by  personal  struggles  and  family  sorrows,  but  still 
full  of  bright  sunshine.  One,  it  is  true,  is  gone  from  us  who 
might,  in  the  pride  of  recent  manhood,  have  brought  you 
into  church,  and  given  you  away  for  me.  Let  us  not  wish 
him  back,  but  wish  ourselves  one  day  sure  of  joining  him  at 
a  more  blessed  bridal.  Our  other  might  have  been  with  us 
by  this  time  at  Oxford  or  Cambridge ;  but  if  we  are  without 
the  joys  of  their  presence,  we  are  also  free  from  the  fears  of 
their  falling  away :  they  are  safe.  But  I  was  speaking  of 
your  youthful  days.  You  have  been  differently  brought  up 
from  other  girls  :  yours  has  been  a  home  of  truth  and  fair- 
ness, and  your  character  has  nobly  reflected  both.  Go  on, 
dear  child,  and  lead  the  rest  of  your  hfe  according  to  this 
beginning ;  go  on  in  the  strength  which  this  beginning  gives 
you ;  belong  to  no  party,  adopt  no  man's  saying  for  your 
rule,  be  all  your  life  as  you  were  on  your  wedding-day,  the 
thoughtful  adviser,  the  warm-hearted  friend,  the  upholder 
and  consoler  of  others,  and,  above  all,  of  him  to  whom  it 
is  your  life's  work  to  minister.'' 

We  remained  at  Canterbury  a  few  days  afterwards.  The 
Dean  had  to  make  many  arrangements  previous  to  the  first 
meeting,  in  the  cathedi'al,  of  the  Diocesan  Choral  Union. 
Their  first  service  in  the  cathedral,  on  July  9,  was  very 
efiective,  as  might  be  expected,  from  the  union  of  550 
trained  voices. 

On  the  10th  of  July  wo  set  out  for  a  Continental  tour,  in 
the  course  of  which  we  hoped  to  overtake  the  newly-married 
pair. 

My  husband's  journal  records  our  progress.  This  was  the 
first  time  he  indulged  himself  with  the  luxury  of  a  courier: — 


350  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

"  Jxdy  10. — From  Dover  to  Calais  and  Amiens,  but  much 
more  comfortable  with  a  courier.  Found  the  cathedral  more 
magnificent  than  ever,  the  height  and  ancient  stained  glass. 
The  west  front  has  been  well  restored,  and  all  the  trumpery- 
La  Gloire,  &c.,  is  to  be  taken  away  from  the  inside,  and  the 
church  put  back  as  it  was  in  the  thirteenth  century.  Next 
day  to  Creil  and  St.  Quentin  ;  a  stiff  old  town.  The  church 
is  a  very  fine  one  of  the  Transition,  with  some  mixture  of 
Latin  styles. 

"July  12. — Left  St.  Quentin  for  Laon,  a  strange  place,  on 
a  hill,  like  Lincoln ;  cathedral  fine,  and  peculiar ;  five  towers, 
of  very  beautiful  style ;  interior  chaste  and  most  interesting ; 
double  triforium. 

"  At  eight  got  to  Rheims,  and  to  an  hotel  close  to  the 
glorious  cathedral,  and  under  its  shadow  we  proposed  spend- 
ing our  Sunday. 

"  Jul]}  13. — At  nine  into  the  cathedral,  one  of  the  grandest 
I  know ;  the  west  fa(;ade  is  one  mass  of  sculptured  figures, 
defying  all  representation,  except  by  photographs  :  the  in- 
side is  most  magnificent,  the  eJBfect  grand  in  the  extreme ; 
the  west  end,  with  two  rose-windows,  as  seen  from  the  choir, 
is  the  noblest  possible — likest,  perhaps,  to  Westminster 
Abbey,  but  higher  and  larger;  painted  glass  very  fine. 
After  lunch,  our  own  service  in  our  own  room ;  then  to  the 
cathedral,  expecting  a  sermon,  which,  however,  was  not, 

"  July  14. — Before  breakfast  sketched  a  buttress  and  pin- 
nacle, with  a  view  to  the  Corona  of  Canterbury.  At  ten  left 
for  Strasburg,  and  next  day,  after  seeing  the  cathedral  and 
waiting  for  the  clock  to  strike  and  seeing  the  figures  go 
round,  off  to  Basle. 

"  Berne,  Sunday,  July  20. — Corrected  proof  of  my  ser- 
mons just  come  from  Canterbury.  Morning,  English  service. 
.  .  .  Afternoon  to  the  cathedral ;  German  service.  Evening 
a  drive  round  the  town,  ending  with  the  Enghe.^^ 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  Berne,  July  20. 
"  We  have  seen  the  Miinster  Thai,   and  we  went    in   a 


1 86 2]  Swiss  Alps.  351 

char-a-hanc  up  the  Weissenstein ;  such  a  climb  !  Burkhard 
(our  courier)  and  I  on  foot.  At  the  hotel ;  at  the  top  such 
a  view  !  All  Switzerland  stretched  out ;  a  glorious  range 
of  snowy  tops — the  Wetterhorn,  Schreckhorn,  Jungfrau, 
Eiger,  &c.,  and  the  town  of  Soleure  under  our  feet ;  the 
Aar  winding  in  endless  courses  through  the  plain;  the  lakes 
of  Bienne,  Neufchatel,  and  Morat ;  Mont  Blanc  westward : 
all  the  Oberland.  On  the  18th  we  went  to  Soleure  and 
Berne,  and  next  morning  off  to  see  Freyburg,  a  most  curious 
place  in  a  deep  ravine,  with  a  church  tower,  which  might  be  a 
Somersetshire  one,  and  two  wonderful  suspension  bridges  over 
the  gorges  on  which  the  town  is  built.  The  second  bridge 
is  312  feet  above  the  river;  we  heard  the  organ  and  a  storm 
imitated.  On  the  21st  we  go  to  Thun,  on  Tuesday  to  Inter- 
laken,  &c.  On  Saturday  week  I  hope  we  shall  meet  at  the 
Schweizerhof  at  Lucerne.'^ 

JOUKNAL. 

"  Interlaken,  July  22. — Came  here  yesterday  by  steamer 
from  Thun.  Up  at  6.30  to  sketch  the  Jungfrau,  which  was 
glittering  in  the  blue  sky  in  all  its  graceful  majesty.  At 
eleven  started  for  the  Giessbach. 

"  The  peculiarity  of  this  fall  is  the  succession  of  waterfalls 
down  the  steep  of  the  mountain ;  there  are  four  considerable 
ones,  besides  several  lesser  ones.  The  path  is  carried  be- 
hind the  second  fall,  and  the  effect  of  seeing  the  land- 
scape through  the  falling  water  is  very  curious.  The  whole 
scenery  of  the  Lake  of  Brienz  is  very  fine  ;  no  snowy  moun- 
tains, but  more  of  the  picturesque  than  usual  in  Switzerland; 
rocks  and  trees  such  as  N.  Poussin  loved  to  paint. 

"  July  24. — From  Interlaken  toLauterbrunnen,  and,  having 
a  day  to  spare,  devoted  it  to  the  Lauterbrunnen  Valley,  com- 
posed of  limestone  rocks  of  various  colours ;  the  flowers  most 
abundant  and  beautiful. 

July  25. — Up  at  3.30  a.m.  to  look  at  Mont  Titlis;  most 
glorious  before  and  after  sunrise.  At  ten  left  for  the  Wen- 
gern  Alp  ;  glorious  day,  without  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  View 
from  the  inn  on  the  Wengern  Alp  truly  magnificent.     Heard 


352  Life  of  Dean  A/ford.  [Chap.  IX. 

several  avalanches,  and  saw  one  immense  one.  At  sunset 
came  to  Grindelwald. 

"  July  26. — Started  for  the  Faulhorn  (where  we  propose 
spending  Sunday),  a  most  steep  but  beautiful  ride ;  the 
views  back,  over  the  Wetterhorn  and  its  glaciers,  glorious ; 
as  we  aj)proached  the  top,  the  clouds  gathered;  then  we 
were  enveloped  in  mist,  but  a  glorious  sunset  lifted  up  the 
mist,  the  colours  changing  from  pale  gold  to  deep  gold,  then 
to  copper ;  then  fading  away  to  that  queer  corpse-like  hue 
which  succeeds  the  loss  of  the  sun. 

"  Sunday,  July  27. — Called  at  four  to  see  the  sun  rise ;  but 
everything  was  shaded  by  a  line  of  clouds.  Service  in  our 
room  with  two  Englishmen,  members  of  the  Alpine  Club. 

"Afternoon  walked  out  in  the  zigzags  and  gathered 
flowers  ;  then  a  mist  came  on,  which  '  eventuated  '  in  a  mag- 
nificent thunderstorm,  the  lightning  which  was  worst  at  the 
receding  of  the  storm,  surpassed  anything  I  had  ever  seen, 
it  struck  the  earth  almost  close  to  us ;  and  as  I  stood  talking 
to  Burkhard,  I  distinctly  saw  the  light  of  a  flash  between  him 
and  me  ;  afier  the  storm,  such  a  rainbow ;  as  near  as  it  could 
be,  a  complete  circle ;  a  remarkable  and  most  happy  day ; 
thank  God  for  it ;  '  to-morrow  to  fresh  fields  and  pastures 
new.' 

"  July  28. — Sunrise  next  morning  magnificent ;  left  for  the 
Scheideck  and  Rosenlaui ;  latter  part  not  so  grand,  but  very 
beautiful ;  through  forests  almost  like  park  scenery.  Went 
to  see  the  glacier  at  Rosenlaui. 

"July  29. — Down  the  valley  of  Reichenbach  on  to  Gutta- 
nen,  and  up  the  splendid  valley  of  Oberhasli. 

"  July  30. — Rode  to  Handek,  and  saw  the  great  Fall  of 
the  Aar  which  looked  finer  than  ever,  lighted  up  by  a  mag- 
nificent rainbow. 

"July  31. — Through  Meyringen,  over  the  Brunig,  past 
Lungern,  Sarnen  to  Lucerne  Piere  we  met  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bullock,  with  whom  we  were  to  travel  as  far  as  Treves] . 

"Aug.  4— To  Weggis  by  steamer;  and  then  up  the  Rigi 
on  horses. 

"  Aug.  5. — Called  at  four  to  see  the  sun  rise,  which  he  did 


1862]  Zurich — Treves.  353 

splendidly ;  every  Alpine  point  was  as  clear  as  possible,  and 
one  after  another  was  lit  up.  We  made  out  with  a  glass 
the  inn  at  the  Faulhorn,  and  indeed,  every  one  of  our  old 
points ;  it  was  a  great  success,  and  one  which  I  never  ex- 
pected. Twenty-one  years  ago,  Fanny,  Burnett,  and  I,  saw 
nothing  from  this  spot,  scarcely  the  whole  of  the  then  small 
hotel !    That  evening  got  to  Zurich. 

"  Aug.  6. — Saw  the  town  library,  and  in  it  letters  of 
Henry  IV.  of  France,  Lady  Jane  Grey  (beautiful  writing), 
Frederick  the  Great,  Lavater,  Zwingle,  Cranmer,  and  the 
First  English  Bible  ever  printed ;  examined  a  file  of  the 
'  Moniteur '  for  the  French  account  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo  ; 
at  six  left  for  Roman  shorn,  on  the  Lake  of  Constance. 

"Aug.  7. — Having  crossed  the  great  Lake  almost  like  a 
sea,  got  to  Constance  in  time  for  the  tahle-d'hote ;  then  sav/ 
the  Cathedral,  the  Council-chamber  and  Huss^s  Prison,  and 
various  antiquities. 

''Aug.  9. —  Got  to  Comburg,  about  one  mile  and  a  half 
from  Hall ;  an  ancient  fort  on  a  hill,  w^here  the  Wurtemberg 
Invalides  are  commanded  by  General  Von  Stadlinger.  Here 
we  stayed  till  the  12th  with  our  kind  friends.  On  Sunday, 
10th,  went  to  the  Protestant  Domkirche  at  Hall,  to  see  a  new 
clergyman  inducted ;  the  ceremony  of  investing  and  laying 
on  of  hands  very  interesting.  He  preached  a  very  good 
sermon,  and  told  us  the  story  of  his  life,  which  I  suppose 
must  be  usual  on  such  occasions. 

"Aug.  13. — From  Heidelberg  to  Bingen  on  the  Rhine, 
and  from  there  we  went  up  the  Nahe-Thal  to  Kreuznach  and 
Aberstein ;  the  latter  a  very  curious  place,  built  on  the  river 
under  very  precipitous  volcanic  rocks. 

"Aug.  15. — From  Coblentz  in  the  steamer  on  the  Moselle 
to  Treves,  sleeping  at  a  Httle  mean  inn  at  Trarbach ;  getting 
to  Treves  on  Saturday  night  and  spending  Sunday  there. 

"Aug.  17. — Morning  j  went  to  the  service  at  the  Basilica, 
and  a  very  fine  church  it  makes;  service  well  done,  and  a 
good  expository  sermon  on  the  Gospel ;  the  Litany  was  from 
Bunsen's  book,  and  the  responses  were  well  given  by  the  choir. 
After  this  we  had  service  in  our  own  room  in  the  Hotel. 

A  a 


354  ^6^  of  Dean  Alfora.  [Chap.  IX. 

"Aug.  18. — Aftei-  breakfast  went  to  see  the  town  library, 
where  is  the  Codex  Aureus,  and  many  MSS. ;  saw  a  letter 
of  Luther's  and  other  curiosities ;  then  saw  the  cathedral ; 
at  twelve  left  for  Luxemburg,  where  we  dined  all  together. 
At  the  station  left  them  [Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullock]  to  return 
home  to  town,  we  going  on  to  Metz. 

^^  Axicj.  19. — Went  to  see  the  beautiful  cathedral  at  Metz, 
Geometrical  or  Early  Decorated ;  very  high  within,  splendid 
stained  glass,  mostly  of  the  King's  Chapel  character,  date 
1500;  an  old  round  church  incorporated  into  the  nave,  and 
an  old  episcopal  chair  of  cippolino.  At  twelve  off  for  Paris, 
and  went  to  the  new  large  Hotel  de  la  Paix. 

'^  Aug.  20. — In  a  carriage  to  the  Russian  Church,  to  St. 
Ferdinand's  Chapel,  Bois  de  Boulogne ;  and  saw  the  Pare 
de  Monceaux,  a  new  little  garden,  very  near  the  Arc  de 
Triomphe. 

''Aug.  21. — Out  all  day  to  the  Placode  la  Bastille  and 
Hotel  de  Sens,  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  very  much  enlarged  and 
splendidly  fitted  up  inside ;  then  to  Petit  Montrouge,  and  to 
show  them  the  Abbe  Migne's  shop. 

"Aug.  22 — Not  at  all  well;  the  sun  yesterday  too  much 
for  my  head ;  obliged  to  have  a  doctor.  [His  verses  entitled, 
''  Life's  Answer"  ("  Poems,"  p.  336)  appear  from  a  uote-book 
to  have  been  written  at  this  time.  He  evidently  felt  uneasy 
about  his  health.] 

"  Aug.  23. — Better,  thank  God;  out  seeing  lots  of  churches, 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  &c. 

''Aug.  26. — Drove  to  Sevres,  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
by  the  side  of  the  Champs  Elysees  Avenue;  the  latter  part  of 
the  drive  pretty;  Prince  Jerome's  Chateau  to  the  left  and 
St.  Cloud  to  the  right.  Saw  the  china  but  not  the  manu- 
factory, it  being  now  forbidden. 

"Aug.  27. — Started  at  nine  for  Versailles ;  had  to  walk 
through  miles  of  galleries ;  what  most  interested  me  were 
some  pictures  of  Horace  Yernet's,  and  two  rooms  full  of  small 
portraits  of  the  old  historical  characters  of  France ;  the 
garden  is  curious,  and  in  its  way  pretty.  Saw  the  Grand 
Trianon,  &c. 


1862]  Signs  of  impaired  Health.  355 

"Aug.  28, — Devoted  this  our  last  day  in  Paris  to  the 
Louvre  and  Luxembourg.  Went  through  the  galleries  in  the 
Louvi'e  rapidly;  the  pictures  certainly  are  glorious.  The 
Luxembourg  now  contains  chiefly  the  pictures  of  living 
artists.''^ 

To  Me.  B.  H.  Alford. 

"  Pai-is,  Aug.  25. 
"  I  have  not  been  well  since  I  have  been  here^  but  it  is 
only  the  old  story,  the  action  of  years  of  overwork  on  the 
nerves  and  brain,  which  is  increasing  as  age  comes  on.  I  have 
called  in  a  doctor  who  has  prescribed,  and  I  am  a  trifle  mended, 
or  rather  patched  up ;  for  the  evil  I  fancy  is  passed  mending.^' 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  Grand  Hotel  de  la  Paix,  Paris,  Aug.  24. 

"  On  Tliursday  we  had  a  very  fatiguing  day  in  a  broiling 
sun,  and  I  was  entirely  prostrated  by  it,  so  that  the  next 
morning  I  could  hardly  stand  or  see.  The  doctor  said  it 
was  nervous  debility.  I  am  better,  and  yesterday  did  a 
good  -day  of  sight-seeing.  Metz  is  a  very  fine  city,  with  a 
really  glorious  cathedral  almost  equal  to  Amiens,  the  painted 
glass  is  superb.  Paris  utterly  surprises  me,  everything  here 
is  being  pulled  down  or  altered.  There  is  not  a  church,  nor 
a  street,  nor  a  theatre,  nor  a  palace,  where  there  is  not  some 
demolition,  and  reconstruction  going  on.  The  fact  is,  it  is 
necessary  for  him  [Louis  Napoleon]  ;  the  moment  it  comes  to 
an  end  he  comes  to  an  end. 

"  How  dreadful  about  the  poor  B.'s.  You  remember  our 
seeing  them  the  Sunday  we  were  at  Quebec  Chapel,  with 

their  children.     I  have  written  to  M to  inquire  about 

the  poor  widow.     God  bless  you  in  your  new  home!^^ 

The  first  volume  of  Bishop  Colenso^s  book  on  the  "  Pen- 
tateuch,^^ was  published  in  the  following  October.  A  portion 
of  it  was  circulated  privately  by  the  author  before  it  was 
made  public,  and  in  the  beginning  of  September  it  was  sent 
to  my  husband.  He  writes  the  following  letter  to  the 
Bishop  on  the  subject : — 

A  a  2 


356  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  IX. 

"  Sei>«.  15,  1862. 
''  I  have  looked  through  a  considerable  portion  of  your 
book,  and  coming  engagements  will  prevent  my  going  on 
with  it.  So  I  return  it  by  this  post.  I  must  say,  that  all 
your  arguments  do  not  seem  to  me  to  affect  our  position 
with  regard  to  the  Pentateuch.  It  seems  to  me  that 
there  are  two  ways  of  approaching  and  considering  this 
subject.  First,  from  the  unhelieving  point  of  view,  pro- 
ceeding thus  to  argue  from  the  improbability  or  discrepancy 
of  details  to  the  unhistorical  character  of  the  whole ;  this 
method  assumes  that  we  understand  all  the  details,  and  deal 
with  them  as  ascertained  and  undoubted  elements  in  the 
inquiry.  Secondly,  from  the  helieviiig  point  of  view,  pro- 
ceeding thus  to  argue  from  the  acknowledged  historical 
character  of  the  whole  to  the  existence  of  a  key  to  difficulties 
of  detail,  provided  we  could  thoroughly  understand  all  cir- 
cumstances regarding  them;  this  view  assumes  Jesus 
Christ  to  have  been  the  Son  of  God.  If  He  urns,  the  Pen- 
tateuch is  historical;  for  He  treats  it  as  such.  The  former 
of  these  methods,  it  seems  to  me,  is  yours.  The  latter  I  am 
content  shall  be  mine.  I  send  you  a  volume  of  '  Sermons ' 
which  I  have  just  published  [Vol.  viii.  '  Sermons  on 
Christian  Doctrine ']  J" 

Soon  after  our  return  to  England,  Archbishop  Sumner 
died  on  September  6th.  On  the  12th  my  husband  men- 
tions in  his  journal,  that  he  ''  attended  Archbishop  Sumner's 
funeral  at  Addington,  not  strictly  private,  though  compara- 
tively so.  Most  of  those  present  were  relations  or  friends. 
So  ends  the  career  of  one  of  the  best  and  holiest  men  of  the 
age.     May  the  next  be  like  him.'' 

To  a  friend  who  suggested  to  him  that  one  consequence 
of  the  Archbishop's  death  might  be  his  own  appointment  to 
a  bishopric,  he  wrote  : — "  I  do  not  apprehend  any  such  con- 
sequences as  you  picture,  so  I  look  round  on  all  my  own 
comforts,  and  thank  God.  I  am  too  outspoken,  and  too 
little  leaning  to  any  party  for  them  to  take  me.  If  I  am 
passed  over  by  the  fatal  bolt  this  time,  I  am  safe  for  the 
future.  ...  If  I  am  called  I  shall  go,  but  we  are  hoping  to 


1862]  Abp.  Lo7igleys  Enthronement.  357 

be  let  alone  in  our  happy,  pleasant  home, — I  to  finish  my 
English  Testament,  now  going  on  well. 

"  We  have  had  a  most  successful  tour,  and  are  now 
embarking  on  our  round  of  home  duties.  At  Lucerne  our 
neogams  met  us.  I  am,  perhaps,  not  so  well  as  could  be 
desired  (as,  indeed,  I  have  never  been  since  the  Apocalyptic 
pull  in  February,  1860),  but  not  ill.  An  English  physician 
whom  I  consulted  in  Paris,  called  it  nervous  debility,  and 
pronounced  it  not  a  question  of  bodily  health  so  much  as  of 
rest  and  bracing  of  the  nerves.  Who  is  to  succeed  the 
Archbishop  is  a  most  anxious  question.  I  should  like 
Longley  above  all  things ;  so  mild  and  kind  and  fatherly, 
with  a  background  of  firmness  withal — his  manner  is 
certainly  most  sunny." 

Both  these  anticipations  were  fulfilled.  His  journal  soon 
afterwards  records  : — 

^'  The  Archbishop  of  York  has  accepted  the  Archbishopric 
of  Canterbury.     Thank  God  for  this." 

And  the  new  Bishop  was  our  friend  Dr.  Ellicott,  then 
Dean  of  Exeter,  of  whose  appointment  he  says  in  a 
letter : — 

"  I  am  delighted.  Besides  higher  qualifications,  he  is  an 
excellent  man  of  business,  and  will  be  a  great  acquisition  to 
the  bench  of  Bishops." 

The  enthronement  of  the  new  Primate  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral  involved  my  husband  in  a  vast  amount  of  busi- 
ness of  a  kind  which  was  certainly  not  congenial  to  him, 
though  he  won  universal  approval  by  the  manner  of  per- 
forming it.     He  writes  in  his  journal : — 

"Nov.  7. — Alone  with  my  dearest  ones  for  the  first  time 
since  this  day  three  weeks  ;  head  giddy  from  overwork ;  lots 
and  lots  of  letters  to  write,  and  arrangements  to  make  for 
the  enthronement,  now  fixed  for  the  12th. 

And  again : — 

"  Bee.  12. — The  enthronement.  A  bright  sunny  day,  and 
all  went  off  as  well  as  possible,  and  every  one  was  very  kind 
and  reasonable ;  not  an  unkind  word  with  a  soul  all  day. 
Crowds  at  lunch,  and  a  large  dinner-party  last  night.     Oar 


358  Life  of  Deaji  Alford.  [Chap.  IX. 

house  is  quite  full  of  the  Archbishop's  party,  Bishop  of 
Oxfordj  &c." 

His  reflections  at  the  end  of  this  year  are  in  a  somewhat 
different  tone  from  those  of  former  years  : — 

''Dec.  31. — Sat  up  till  the  end  of  the  year;  heard  the 
clock  strike  amidst  the  ringing  of  bells.  So  ends  1862,  a 
year  of  great  mercies  and  some  important  events  to  me ; 
during  it,  my  darling  Alice  has  been  happily  married;  a 
blessing,  indeed,  of  no  common  kind.  I  have  had  two 
pleasant  journeys  :  one  to  Nice  in  the  spring,  and  one  with 
Fanny  and  Mary  to  Switzerland  in  July  and  August.  My 
own  health  has,  I  fear,  been  somewhat  impaired ;  my  head  is 
often  weak,  and  I  cannot  stand  the  work,  either  physical  or 
mental,  which  I  could  some  years  ago  ;  but  this  has  improved 
of  late.  My  sight  has  become  much  impaired,  which  shows 
that  old  age  is  coming  on.  0  may  I  be  ready  whenever  the 
Master  calls ;  very  much  longer  it  can  hardly  be.  I  have 
worked  harder  than  most  men,  and  must  in  the  course  of 
nature  go  sooner.  Lord,  make  me  fit  to  meet  Thee,  not  by 
my  own  righteousness,  but  by  growth  in  Thy  grace,  and  in 
knowledge  of  Christ  my  Lord.  Keep  me  in  spiritual  health, 
if  bodily  be  denied  me.  If  I  live,  may  it  be  to  work  for  God 
and  for  Him — if  I  die,  may  my  end  be  a  Christian  one,  and 
my  waking  after  His  likeness  be  my  soul's  eternal  satis- 
faction. May  He  bless,  also,  my  dear  ones,  with  whom  He 
has  made  me  very  happy  ! 

"  Far  from  the  Light !    0  why,  O  why  ? 
Is  not  my  Light  within  ? 
*  *  *  * 

But  ah,  I  fear  no  chink  of  sky, 

To  look  through  canst  thou  find. 
My  bank  of  clouds  is  all  too  high. 

And  Thou  art  still  behind. 
0  for  the  breath  divine  to  blow 

This  inward  mist  to  clear. 
In  tempest,  if  it  must  be  so. 

So  Thou  my  light  appear." 


CHAPTER    X. 
1863—1867. 


New  Testament  for  English  Readers— Queen's  English- 
King's  School  Rebuilding — Consecration  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral  — Winter  in  Rome  —  Canterbury  Harmonic 
Union  formed — Sojourn  at  Callander — Attends  Norwich 
Congress— Year  of  Prayer  and  Year  of  Praise— Autumn 
Home  at  Vine's  Gate— First  Canterbury  Mission— Lec- 
tures AT  Glasgow— Netherton-on-Sea. 


ALTHOUGH  the  reflections  with  which  the  last  year 
were  closed  were  of  a  less  bright  character  than 
usual,  they  certainly  did  not  indicate  a  decline  of  intellectual 
activity.  His  journal  affords  evidence  of  his  employment  in 
the  beginning  of  1863  in  improving  his  Commentary  on  St. 
John  (Greek  Testament)  ;  in  preparing  his  New  Testament 
for  English  Readers ;  in  the  composition  of  a  sermon  on  Holy 
Scripture,  which  he  preached  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  on  the 
11th  January  to  5000  persons,  and  which  was  afterwards 
published  by  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Know- 
ledge ;  in  the  completion  of  a  short  course  of  sermons  on 
Creation,  preached  at  Canterbury  (published  1865) ;  in  the 
enlargement  of  certain  lectures  into  the  book  published  in 
1864  under  the  title  of  the  "  Queen's  English,"  and  in  the 
composition  of  several  new  poems,  viz.: — ''^  Evening  Hexa- 
meters,''p.  327.  ''A  Greeting  to  Spring,"  p.  331.  ''Be 
Just  and  fear  not,"  p.  332.  "  Filiolge  Dulcissimee,"  an 
Easter  Offering,  p.  334. 

Whilst  employed  in  these  m(jre  serious  works,  he  found 
leisure  to  make  the  arrangements  for  an  Amateur  Concert, 


360  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

in  wliich  Sir  Sterndale  Bennett^s  "  May  Queen  ^'  was  per- 
formedj  at  tlie  Deanery  on  5tli  January ;  and  to  complete  a 
series  of  water-colour  drawings,  the  outlines  of  which  he 
brought  home  from  the  last  summer's  tour  in  Switzerland. 
And  another  subject  to  which  he  gave  much  attention  was 
the  rebuilding  of  the  King's  School,,  Canterbury,  the  plans 
for  which  were  settled  principally  on  the  responsibility  of 
the  Dean  and  Chapter. 

On  March  7  he  went  to  town  to  be  present  at  the  arrival 
of  the  Princess  Alexandra. 

He  enters  in  his  journal : — 

'''At  ten  a.m.  to  St.  Paul's,  south  side.  Crowd  im- 
mense. 

"  At  3.30  the  procession  came.  The  Princess  Alexandra, 
our  future  Queen  (D.V.)  is  fair,  and  prettier  than  I  had 
imagined  from  her  photos.  When  she  had  passed,  I  went 
off  and  joined  the  rest  of  my  party.  Home  by  eight. 
Memorable  day." 

Through  the  kindness  of  friends,  our  daughter  Mary  was 
one  of  those  who  were  admitted  to  St.  George's  Chapel  to 
witness  the  marriage  on  March  10. 

The  day  is  thus  described  in  his  journal : — 

"March  10. — Marriage  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  The 
Mayor  and  Corporation  came  to  the  Cathedral;  we  met 
them  at  the  south  door  and  preceded  them  up  the  nave, 
chanting  the  two  wedding  Psalms.  I  preached  \  Then  to 
the  Dane  John.  Then  to  lunch  with  the  Mayor,  and  with 
him  to  the  Exchange  to  say  grace  for  the  old  men  and 
women  who  had  dinner  given  them. 

"  Then  off  to  town  to  see  the  illuminations  and  seek  after 
Mary,  who  is  gone  with  the  Archbishop's  party  to  Windsor 
to  see  the  royal  marriage. 

"  The  squeeze  at  Ludgate  Hill  was  fearful,  much  more  than 
I  liked ;  so  I  made  for  the  Farringdon  Street  Eailway,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  was  in  Baker  Street.  Mary  did  not  return 
till  after  midnight,  when  she  came  in  one  of  the  Archbishop's 


'   Semion  called  "  Rqjoicc  with  them  that  rejoice."     Printed. 


1863]  Consecration  at  Canterbury.  361 

carriages ;  they  had  been  three  hours  getting  from  West- 
minster to  the  Horse  Guards." 

Canterbury  Cathedral  was  now  to  be  again,  after  an  interval 
of  fourteen  years,  the  chosen  place  for  a  Consecration  of 
Bishops,  and  one  of  those  who  were  consecrated  on  March 
25th,  Dr.  Ellicott,  the  new  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol, 
was,  in  consequence  of  their  fellowship  in  critical  works,  one 
of  the  most  intimate  friends  of  my  husband,  who  was  selected 
to  preach  the  sermon.     The  text  was  St.  John  x.  11. 

And  he  thus  speaks  of  the  office  of  a  Bishop : — "  None 
can  mistake  the  engrossing  nature  of  a  bishop^s  employ- 
ments; none  can  suppose  that  there  remains  anything  for 
him,  except  to  give  himself  up  henceforward  simply  and 
entirely  to  the  work  he  has  undertaken.  A  bishop  has 
almost  to  bid  farewell  to  leisure,  that  ever  more  and  more 
valuable  luxury  of  the  advancing  years  of  busy  men;  the 
great  tide  of  overwhelming  responsibility  has  flowed  in  and 
filled  up  all  the  chinks  and  intervals  of  disposable  time.  He 
has  only  become  greatest  that  he  may  be  the  servant  of  all. 
You  are  passing  out  from  among  us  into  the  heat  of  public 
gaze,  and  under  incessant  question  and  criticisms.  Where 
the  least  trip  will  be  exaggerated  and  the  most  trivial  error 
magnified,  how  easy  it  will  be  for  you  to  bring  dishonour 
upon  Christ,  how  difficult  so  to  walk  that  He  may  always  be 
glorified  in  you.''^  Dr.  Mesac  Thomas,  the  first  Bishop  of 
Goulburn,  was  consecrated  at  the  same  time,  and  he  is 
referred  to  in  the  following  words  : — "  It  is  a  joyful  and 
proud  day  for  our  ancient  Cathedral  when  she  thus  again 
vindicates  her  position  as  the  centre  of  England's  Chris- 
tianity, when  she  can  send  forth  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
founders  of  churches  descended  from  her,  and  remembering 
her  with  affection,  and  can  be  made  again  the  place  of  con- 
secration of  a  bishop  of  her  own  province. '^ 

At  the  end  of  the  month  he  went  again  to  Oxford  to  take 
part  in  the  annual  Lent  Lectures  in  the  University  City; 
and  in  May  he  spent  some  days  in  London  attending  Con- 
vocation.    A  characteristic  entry  occurs  in  his  diary  ; — 

"  3I111J  22. — Heard  of  two   deaths,  very  sad.  Sir  Calling 


362  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

Eardley^s  and  Henry  Streeten's^.  Arranged  my  money- 
matters  for  Fanny  in  case  of  my  death." 

It  was  in  this  month  that  the  first  volume  [Part  I.]  of  his 
'^  New  Testament  for  Enghsh  Readers  '^  came  from  the  press. 
The  object  of  this  book  was  to  give  to  persons  who  do  not 
know  Greek  as  much  as  possible  of  the  information  con- 
tained in  his  work  on  the  Greek  Testament.  The  first  part 
of  the  first  volume  (452  pages)  included  the  first  three 
Gospels  in  the  Authorized  Version ;  with  his  own  amended 
translation  of  certain  phrases  in  notes  beneath^  marginal 
references^  and  a  large  body  of  explanatory  notes^  mainly, 
though  not  entirely,  adapted  from  the  notes  to  his  Greek 
Testament ;  there  are  also  copious  Introductions  prefixed  to 
each  book.  He  regarded  this  work  as  an  important  step  in 
carrying  out  his  purpose,  which  was  always  on  his  mind,  of 
contributing  to  extend  a  deeper  knowledge  of  the  Bible  in 
all  ranks  of  society. 

In  June  he  spent  a  day  on  an  object  in  which  he  always 
took  much  pleasure,  and  for  which  he  was  peculiarly  qualified, 
a  holiday  with  the  young.     He  writes  : — 

"  June  26. — Started  with  a  party  of  King's  Scholars,  Clergy 
Orphan  boys,  and  others^  nineteen  in  all,  for  Calais ;  showed 
them,  accompanied  by  a  commissionaire,  the  town,  ramparts, 
and  cathedral.  Dinner  at  an  hotel  there,  and  supper  at  the 
Deanery." 

The  following  letter,  written  in  July,  from  Lord  Camden's 
House,  "The  Wilderness,"  near  Sevenoaks,  to  his  younger 
daughter  at  Taunton,  records  another  day  of  relaxation  : — 

To  HIS  Daughter  Mary. 

"July  16. 

"  We  have  had  such  a  nice  day  at  Old  Penshurst,  800 
people ;  Lord  De  Lisle  gave  luncheon  to  all,  and  Mr.  Parker 
of  Oxford  lectured  us  on  the  grand  old  house,  begun  in 
King  John's  time,  and  finished  in  Elizabeth's.  I  missed 
one  little  face  there,  but  it  was  very  jolly  none  the  less. 


'  A  young  Lieutenant  in  the  Navy  cruslied  to  death  by  a  boat  which  was 
torn  from  its  fastenings  during  a  fearful  gale,  just  as  the  ship  had  entered 
the  Channel  on  its  return  from  China. 


1863]  "  Contemporary  Review''  363 

Lots  of  other  Kentish  people  were  of  course  with  us  to-day^ 
Lord  Sydney,  the  Archbishop  and  Miss  Longley,  and  Bishop 
Trower,  &c. 

''  To-morrow  we  are  going  to  Knowle.  On  Saturday  I 
am  off  to  the  old  place.  Only  think^  what  will  my  filiola 
say  when  she  hears  that  Stanley  was  down  at  Canterbury 
yesterday  with  Prince  Arthur.  He  went  to  church  and 
sat  in  my  stall ;  lunched  at  the  Harrisons ;  saw  St.  Augus- 
tine's and  returned  in  the  evening.  Was  it  not  a  pity  we 
were  not  there  ?  He  of  course  would  have  lunched  with  us  ; 
love  to  darling  mamma  and  all  in  mountain  and  marsh. 

'■'P.S.  I  hope  I  shall  find  the  three  gables  in  front  of  the 
Deanery  nearly  finished,  what  an  improvement  it  will  be  !  " 

A  few  days  afterwards  he  paid  a  brief  visit  in  the  West 
of  England,  and  spent  part  of  a  day  at  Dunster,  so  well-known 
to  him  in  early  days.     He  writes  July  23  : — 

"  Up  early  and  out  early  to  sketch  the  castle  and  church. 
I  am  here  in  the  same  large  room  in  the  '  Luttrell  Arms/ 
where  my  father  and  I  were  in  1824,  Paget  and  I  in  1831, 
Bickersteth  and  I  in  1832,  dearest  Fanny  and  I  in  1838,  my 
dear  ones,  Eliza  Mott,  and  I  in  1848,  and  now  M.  and  I 
in  1863.     How  great  God's  mercies  have  been  to  me." 

Another  pleasant  visit  was  paid  to  our  friends.  General 
and  Mrs.  Hutchinson,  then  at  Government  House,  Devon- 
port. 

It  was  this  autumn  that  he  preached  in  Wells  Cathedral 
a  sermon  for  the  ''  Five  Church  Societies,"  which  was  pub- 
lished separately. 

Two  new  plans  were  now  first  presented  to  him  which 
eventually  occupied  much  of  his  time.  Mr.  Strahan,  the 
publisher,  proposed  to  him  to  edit  a  new  periodical  to  be 
called  the  "  Contemporary  Review ;"  and  Mr.  Pfyffers,  a 
Belgian  sculptor,  submitted  to  the  Dean  designs  for  the 
statues  to  be  placed  outside  the  south  porch  of  Canterbury 
Cathedral. 

Although  the  restoration  of  the  cathedral  was  carried  on 
on  a  liberal  scale  from  funds  connected  with  the  edifice, 
the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  thought  it  best  to  leave  to 


364  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

voluntary  contributions  the  work  of  completing  the  west 
front  by  filling  the  numerous  vacant  niches  with  appropriate 
statues.  The  Dean  accordingly  put  forward  in  the  winter  of 
1862  a  proposal  for  a  public  subscription  for  erecting  fifty- 
six  statues^  one  of  our  Lord  as  the  Good  Shepherd,  and 
the  others  commemorative  of  personages  whose  fame  was 
connected  in  some  way  with  the  ancient  cathedral.  A 
complete  list  of  them  is  given  in  the  Appendix.  The  first 
list  was  put  forth  in  1862.  In  six  years  thirty-one  statues 
had  been  erected ;  another  effort  was  made,  and  before  the 
winter  of  1870  nearly  all  the  niches  were  filled,  and  this 
portion  of  the  outside  of  the  cathedral  was  probably  in  a 
more  complete  state  than  it  had  ever  been  previously. 

I  have  written  nearlxj  all ;  for  amongst  the  vacant  places 
on  the  west  front,  was  one  which  is  now  filled  by  a  repre- 
sentation of  him  by  whose  mind  the  whole  plan  was  formed. 
As  early  as  1864,  some  ladies  of  Canterbury  privately  raised 
a  sufiicient  fund  for  the  erection  of  a  statue  of  the  Dean 
among  the  others ;  but  as  soon  as  the  intention  was  made 
known  to  him,  he  prevailed  on  the  friendly  contributors  to 
change  their  purpose  and  to  present  to  the  cathedral  one 
of  the  statues  previously  proposed;  that  of  Edward  the 
Black  Prince  was  chosen,  and  it  took  the  place  thus  intended 
for  the  Dean.  But  eventually  the  original  intention  was 
fulfilled.  On  October  15,  1871,  a  statue  of  Dean  Alford, 
executed  by  Mr.  Pfyfi'ers  at  the  cost  of  members  of  the 
Canterbury  Harmonic  Union  and  other  friends,  was  placed 
in  a  niche  on  the  west  front,  and  publicly  unveiled  and 
presented  by  Mr.  Precentor  Hake,  the  representative  of  the 
donors,  to  the  Dean  ^  and  Chapter. 


3  Dr.  Payne  Smitli,  the  Dean  of  Canterbury,  in  accepting  tlie  statue  for 
the  Cathedral  body,  said,  "  It  must  be  a  great  pleasure  to  them  to  see  such 
a  memorial  of  one  who  had  done  so  much  towards  establishing  their  Society. 
The  late  Dean  was  a  man  of  many  accomplishments,  and,  besides  being  a 
scholar,  was  a  musician  and  a  poet.  He  was  also  a  great  hymn  writer,  one 
of  his  compositions  was  that  Harvest  Hymn,  '  Come,  ye  faithful  people, 
come,'  which  was  being"  suug  in  church  throughout  England  at  that  season 
of  the  year.  It  was  very  appropriate  that  Dean  Alford  should  occupy  a 
placo  in  that  series  of  statues  which  he  had  himself  originated,  and  also 
that  he  should  be  placed  next  to  Erasmus,  being,  like  him,  a  notable  com- 


1863]  Seco7id  Visit  to  Rome.  365 

In  the  autumn  of  1863  he  determined  to  spend  all  the 
ensuing  winter  on  the  Continent.  His  annual  relaxation 
from  work  was  usually  for  a  much  shorter  time.  Some  of 
his  reasons  for  prolonging-  it  on  this  occasion  are  stated  in 
the  following  letter  to  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton;  and,  as 
the  reader  is  aware,  he  had  cherished  the  wish  to  revisit 
Rome  with  his  family.  It  was  on  this  second  visit  that 
he  wrote  "  Letters  from  Abroad/^  which  after  first  appear- 
ing in  successive  numbers  of  Strahan's  monthly  magazine, 
^'  Good  Words/^  were  published  in  a  separate  volume. 

A  beautiful  memorial  of  this  tour  was  preserved  in 
a  large  manuscript  volume  containing  more  than  600 
photographs  of  pictures,  places,  and  statues,  &c.,  some 
prints  and  a  few  original  sketches  arranged  in  the  order 
in  which  the  places  were  visited,  and  connected  by  a  manu- 
script diary.  This  was  in  later  years  one  of  the  favourite 
ornaments  of  the  drawing-room  at  Canterbury.  So  far  as 
the  details  of  this  tour  are  of  general  interest,  they  will 
be  found  in  the  following  letters. 

We  left  Canterbury  on  30th  November,  a  party  of  four 
(our  niece,  Miss  H.  B.  Alford  of  Taunton,  supplying  the  place 
left  vacant  by  the  marriage  of  our  eldest  daughter),  with  a 
courier,  Burkhard. 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Toulon,  Dec.  2. 
"  Many  thanks  for  your  affectionate  farewell  letter,  received 
just  before  we  left.  As  you  say,  our  contemplated  absence 
is  for  a  long  time,  and  no  one  knows  what  may  happen  before 
we  return ;  but  we  are  kept  in  His  hands  who  has  preserved 
me  and  mine  for  His  work  hitherto,  and  will  do  with  us  what 
is  best  for  His  service  and  glory.  We  have  prospered  very 
well  hitherto.  We  left  home  on  Monday,  the  30th,  and  here 
we  are  on  Wednesday,  800  miles  from  home,  without  incon- 
venience or  unusual  fatigue.   .  .   . 


mentator  on  tlie  Bible."  He  concluded  by  calling  upon  those  present  to 
sing  the  229th  Hymn  in  the  Dean's  own  collection  [The  Year  of  Praise]. 
"  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand." 


366  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

"  I  would  not  have  run  away  from  my  duties  and  from 
England  for  so  long  had  I  not  felt  that  I  have  been  for 
many  years  expected  to  do  more  than  I  ought  to  do,  and  had 
I  not  been  anxious  both  to  get  a  good  winding-up  for  what 
may  be  to  come,  and  to  put  an  interval  between  what  has 
been  my  former  life  of  incessant  toil  and  what,  if  God  spares 
me,  I  hope  to  enjoy  as  an  eventide  of  useful,  but  less  per- 
sistent, work." 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Genoa,  Dec.  8. 

"  We  left  Nice  on  Saturday  morning,  spending  Sunday  at 
Mentone ;  from  Nice  here  we  have,  literally,  not  had  a  cloud 
in  the  sky ;  the  mountains  and  the  glorious  sea  in  all  their 
splendour.  The  whole  Riviera  is  perfumed  with  orange  blossom ; 
in  some  places  the  trees  for  miles  are  one  sheet  of  white  bloom. 
If  you  have  ever  travelled  the  Oorniche  road,  you  will  not 
need  telling  that  no  words  can  describe  its  beauty.  First  of 
all,  you  have  as  your  companion  throughout,  the  lovely  sea  full 
of  gorgeous  colours,  from  the  emerald  green  of  the  curling 
waves  to  the  turquoise  and  purple  of  the  near  distance,  the 
steady  sapphire  blue  of  the  middle  distance,  and  the  deep 
ultramarine  of  the  far-ofiF  sea-line.  This  on  the  right ;  then 
you  have  also  on  the  left  the  ever-vai^ing  mountains.  Some- 
times you  are  skirting  and  tunnelling  their  promontories, 
gaining  new  views  as  each  is  tm^ned;  sometimes  you  are 
threading  the  olive-clad  hills  which  form  their  buttresses 
over  the  sea;  sometimes,  again,  crossing  the  wide  pebbly 
beds  of  the  torrents  which  descend  from  them,  and  up  their 
course,  catching  glimpses  of  the  snow-clad  giants  of  the 
main  ridge  of  Alps,  over  banks  of  silvery  green  and  shining 
villages  perched  on  the  heights.  And  then  the  towns  glit- 
tering many-coloured,  quaint  with  their  narrow  smooth- 
paved  streets,  shady  and  lofty,  looped  together  with  frequent 
arches  from  side  to  side,  to  steady  the  houses  in  earthquakes ; 
hundred-towered  as  Alberga,  lying  all  of  them  hot  and  glaring 
on  the  smooth  beach  of  their  little  bays.  The  views,  as  Genoa 
la  Superba  is  approached,  of  the  maritime  cities  increase 


1863]  Orvieto.  367 

continually  in  splendour,  till  at  last,  after  a  cut  over  a  pine- 
clad  promontory,  the  fair  vision  of  the  Queen  of  the  Eiviera 
spreads  before  you. 

''  To-morrow  we  hope  to  make  a  long  run  for  Spezzia,  next 
day  Pisa,  then  to  Siena,  where  we  spend  Sunday;  on  Monday 
(D.V.)  to  Orvieto,  Tuesday  Viterbo,  Wednesday  or  Thurs- 
day Eome.  I  have  given  you  our  tour  as  it  has  been,  and 
we  hope  it  will  be/^ 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  Hotel  de  V Europe,  Rome,  Dec.  16. 

"  Here  we  are  all  safe,  without  having  gone  over  any  preci- 
pice, or  had  a  single  contretemps  of  any  kind.  We  have  every 
reason  to  be  most  thankful  for  our  prosperous  journey.  From 
Toulon  here  we  have  not  had  a  drop  of  rain,  hardly  a  cloud 
in  the  sky.  We  examined  thoroughly  the  Cathedral,  Baptis- 
tery, and  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa,  and  the  interesting  frescoes 
of  Benozzo,  &c.,  in  the  Campo  Santo;  the  Sienese  School  of 
Siena,  from  Guide  da  Siena  to  Beccafumi.  The  front  of  the 
Cathedral  of  Orvieto  is  a  very  miracle  of  art  in  graven  work 
and  colour :  the  upper  portions  are  entirely  occupied  between 
the  buttresses  with  the  most  gorgeous  mosaics  of  scriptural 
and  traditional  subjects.  At  Ficulle  we  hired  a  vetturinoiov 
Rome.  Saw  St.  Peter^s  fourteen  miles  off,  and  entered  Rome 
as  it  was  bathed  in  the  glorious  hue  of  a  golden  sunset. 

"Bee.  17.-^- We  have  seen  more  than  twenty  sets  of  rooms, 
and  gone  up  some  hundred  pairs  of  stairs ;  at  last  we  fixed 
on  a  very  nice  set  in  the  Piazza  Nicosia,  near  the  Borghese 
Palace." 

To  Canon  Robertson. 

"Rome,  Bee.  16. 
'^Here  we  find  ourselves,  after  a  journey  without  a  hin- 
drance or  drawback.  I  was  not  prepared  to  find  so  much 
beauty  in  Central  Italy.  I  had  gone  through  it  by  another 
route  with  Trench  in  1861,  by  Radiofani  to  Siena,  and  could 
hardly  have  believed  that  the  deviation  by  Orvieto,  now  made 
necessary  by  the  temporary  terminus  of  the  rail  being  at 


368  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

Ficulle,  could  have  made  so  much  difference.  The  scenery  is 
quite  gorgeous  :  oak  forests  clothed  in  the  brightest  autumnal 
tints,  melting  into  the  tenderest  purples  in  mid-distance,  and 
a  perfectly  ultramarine  blue  in  the  distance.  We  got  to 
Eome  at  five  this  evening.  Certainly  the  way  to  approach 
Rome  is  by  the  Via  Cassia, 

"At  the  fourteenth  mile-stone  you  see  St.  Peter's  alone, 
with  a  wide  horizon  of  Campagna ;  then  mile  by  mile  more 
and  more  bursts  on  you  till  the  descent  to  the  Ponte  Molle, 
when  all  becomes  full  of  interest.  Besides,  St.  Peter's  never 
looks  so  well  as  from  a  height,  and  it  is  by  this  approach 
only  that  you  can  get  it  from  a  height. 

"  But  let  me  say  a  word  of  the  cathedral  of  Orvieto.  I 
had  no  idea  of  anything  so  beautiful  being  there.  It,  rather 
its  west  end,  is  a  mass  of  the  brightest  mosaics,  framed  in 
exquisite  carving  in  marble.  The  mosaics  (thirteenth  century) 
are  as  fresh  as  the  day  they  were  done,  and  the  delicate 
carving,  by  Nicolo  da  Pisa,  almost  uninjured." 

To  Canon  Robertson. 

"  Christmas  Eve,  1863. 
"  We  are  leading  a  very  cosy  life,  as  snug  as  may  be,  work- 
ing at  Italian,  drawing,  and  letter-writing  in  the  morning, 
going  out  to  see  sights  in  the  afternoon,  or — :as  we  have  hired 
a  carriage  here — we  take  drives  in  the  Campagna,  taking  our 
lunch  and  sketching  till  it  is  time  to  return ;  in  the  evening 
reading  up  for  to-morrow's  sights.  The  weather  has  been 
magnificent.  This  afternoon  we  spent  among  Louis  Napoleon's 
excavations  on  the  Palatine  under  a  cloudless  sky.  The  view 
of  Rome  and  of  the  distant  mountains  beautiful  beyond 
description,  and  the  heat  quite  as  great  as  was  comfortable. 
We  are  going  to  shirk  the  late  idolatries  to-night,  and  quietly 
hear  the  Pastorale  at  the  St.  Maria  sopra  Minerva,  said  to  be 
the  best  in  Rome,  and  from  ten  to  twelve." 

To  THE  Rev.  B.  H.  Alford. 

"  Rome,  Dec.  26. 

"  Here  we   are  in  the  midst  of  the  gorgeous   old   city 


1 863  J  Christmas.  369 

looking  more  lovely  than  ever.  Such  noons  and  moons^  and 
sunrises  and  sunsets,  and  the  old  ruins  blushing  with  deeper 
colour  than  when  I  saw  them  before  in  February,  1861. 
Well,  Christmas  is  over,  and  we  saw  our  share  of  its  cere- 
monies. On  Christmas  Eve  we  had  no  mind  for  the  fight  to 
get  into  and  out  of  the  Sistine ;  so,  having  been  told  that  the 
sight  was  good  at  the  Minerva,  we  went  there  at  ten  p.m., 
and  after  waiting  an  unconscionable  time,  during  which  the 
Dominicans  chanted  a  tedious  service  behind  a  screen  at  the 
farther  end,  the  chief  man  went  up  to  the  high  altar,  un- 
covered what  I  had  supposed  to  be  the  sacred  elements,  but 
it  proved  to  be  a  wretched  little  wax  doll,  about  eighteen 
inches  long,  on  a  cushion ;  this  he  solemnly  carried  under  a 
baldachino  with  heaps  of  lights  round  it.  All  the  Dominican 
body  followed  him  with  lights  round  the  church ;  this  done, 
he  placed  himself  and  the  baldachino  and  lights  at  the 
end  of  the  south  aisle,  and  every  one  of  these  Dominican 
fathers — constituting,  mind  you,  the  Holy  Ofl&ce  of  the  Inqui- 
sitors, judges  of  books  to  be  prohibited — came  up  and  kissed 
the  toes  of  the  miserable  little  idol,  and  reverentially  pressed 
his  forehead  against  it.  This  done,  an  inferior  priest  took 
the  bambino  and  carried  it  to  a  side  chapel,  where  a  rail  was 
run  out  at  which  the  people  knelt,  and  the  idol  was  carried 
round  to  railfull  after  railfull,  who  kissed  its  toes  and  pressed 
their  foreheads  against  it.  This  done,  the  priest  mounted  on 
the  altar  of  some  chapel,  and  deposited  the  doll  in  a  cradle, 
over  which  leant  figures  of  Joseph  and  Mary.  The  whole 
thing  was  sickening  and  disgusting  to  the  last  degree. 
And  this,  thought  I,  as  I  returned,  is  the  Eome  in  which 
St.  Paul  preached ! 

Well,  at  nine  a.m.  we  went  to  St.  Peter's.  As  a  whole,  I 
should  say  the  procession  was  a  failure :  it  was  gorgeous 
enough  in  colour,  certainly,  but  there  was  no  study  given 
to  arranging  the  colour  effectively,  and  the  poor  old  Pope 
looked  the  image  of  ill-repressed  nausea.  We  stayed  but  to 
see  him  flinging  his  censer  behind  the  altar,  and  then  oflT  to 
our  own  church,  which  was  a  treat. 

'^  In    the     afternoon    I    preached   from    Luke   ii.  34,  35 

B  b 


370  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  X. 

extempore,  for  my  heart  was  full.  Service  being  ended,  we 
drove  to  Sta.  Maria  Maggiore,  which  was  certainly  superb, 
lighted  with  thousands  of  candles,  the  whole  church  full  of 
people  and  spectators ;  for  there  is  but  one  congregation  in 
Rome,  and  that  is  outside  the  Porta  del  Popolo.  To-day 
after  lunch  we  went  to  St.  Stefano  Rotondo,  thence  to  the 
Ara  Coeli  to  hear  the  little  children  preach,  which  was  very 
funny.  Quaint  little  souls  of  five  and  six,  put  up  on  the 
side  of  a  pillar,  hold  forth  with  abundant  action  about  the 
Nativity,  as  if  they  had  seen  it.  Never  was  a  day  so 
glorious,  the  unclouded  sun  bathing  all  the  old  ruins  in  rich 
orange  light,  and  the  evei'lasting  hills  in  their  tender  purple 
beyond." 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  38,  Piazza  Nicosia,  Dec.  28. 
^' We  arrived  here  on  the  16th,  having  been  favoured  with 
most  lovely  weather  throughout.  Since  we  have  been  here 
most  of  the  days  have  been  cloudless,  wind  north  and  north- 
east, but  the  sun  very  powerful.  The  mountains  and  the 
old  ruins  have  looked  most  lovely  in  colour.  It  has  been 
very  tempting  to  sit  out  sketching,  and  to  enjoy  sunsets  on 
the  Pincian  and  Jauiculum  ;  and  the  consequence  is  we  have 
had  colds.  Bradley  will  have  told  you  how  we  fared  on 
Christmas  Eve  and  Day.  We  saw  quite  enough  to  make  us 
all  doubly  thankful  to  Him  who  hath  called  us  out  of  dark- 
ness into  His  marvellous  light.  Tlie  idolatry  is  unspeakably 
degrading,  worse  than  I  could  have  believed.  A  person 
here  who  knows  Rome  well,  told  me  last  week  that  the 
lower  orders  are  heathens  ;  their  whole  creed  and  practice 
are  Pagan.  The  procession  in  St.  Peter's  disappointed  me; 
considering  how  important  they  regard  it  as  being,  and  what 
their  facilities  are  for  getting  it  up,  it  ought  to  be  far  grander 
than  it  is.  The  transition  to  our  own  service,  290  com- 
municants, was  indeed  enough  to  make  one  most  thankful. 
The  outward  changes  in  Rome  are  very  striking.  All  now  is 
order  and  outward  good  government,  and  I  hear  now  the  city 
is  as  well  ruled  as  any  in  Italy.  They  have  determined  not 
to  yield  so  they  have  taken  to  reforming.     The  letters  are 


1864]  The  Palatine — Osha.  371 

punctually  delivered.  But  tlie  Neri  hold  themselves  as  high 
as  ever,  and  the  Papal  regulations  are  as  strict.  Permission 
has  been  refused  to  our  Consul  to  hold  a  supplementary 
service  in  his  house  for  the  hundreds  who  are  turned  away 
from  the  English  Church  !   .  .   . 

''Jan.  6. — Since  I  wrote  the  above  (which  I  thought  I  had 
sent),  we  have  patched  up  the  difficulty  about  the  English 
service  by  having  an  additional  morning  service  in  the  pre- 
sent church  at  9.45,  full  morning  service  with  a  sermon*. 
The  same  with  the  communion  and  sermon  at  11.30,  and 
evening  service  at  3.30,  besides  two  evening  weekday  ser- 
vices and  the  communion  on  the  festivals.  I  take  it  we  are 
by  far  the  best  appointed  church  in  Rome,  and  the  only 
congregation. 

The  Emperor's  excavations  on  the  Palatine  are  most  in- 
teresting, wonderful  remains  of  the  kingly,  republican,  and 
imperial  periods  have  come  to  light ;  among  other  things,  the 
ancient  Porta  Mugonia,  one  of  the  gates  of  Roma  Quadrata, 
when  it  was  confined  to  the  Palatine  Hill.  Signer  Rossi, 
who  has  found  it  all,  was  a  man  persecuted  by  the  Neri,  but 
the  Emperor  found  out  his  value,  and  gave  him  asylum  on 
his  newly  purchased  Orti  Farnesiani,  and  made  him  superin- 
tendent of  the  works,  and  gave  him  a  guard  of  French  sol- 
diers, so  that  the  Pope  cannot  touch  him.  He  has  given  us 
private  permission  to  go  there  and  sketch  when  we  like.'' 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  38,  Piazza  Nicosia,  Feb.  17. 
"  Many  thanks  for  your  letter  which  I  found  this  evening 
on  our  return  from  Ostia ;  the  day  was  not  unfavourable,  but 
it  suited  well  that  strange  country  between  this  and  the 
ancient  port  of  Rome;  the  visit  was  most  interesting,  some 
portions  of  the  old  city  having  been  excavated  like  Pompeii, 
and  there  are  streets  and  houses  just  as  they  were,  with 
their  splendid  mosaic  pavements  of  marble.     Ostia  once  had 


*  The  Dean  does  not  state  that  this  service  was  undertaken  by  himself 
during  our  stay  in  Rome. 

B  b  2 


37^  I-ifi  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

80^000  inhabitants,  and  now  lias  not  one  hundred.  We  spent 
two  hours  in  seeing  the  excavations,  and  in  picking  up  bits 
of  marble;  then  we  went  to  Castel  Fusano*,  in  a  magnificent 
pine  forest  which  extends  sixty  miles  along  the  coast,  and 
here  we  had  our  lunch.  We  have  seen  such  glorious  works 
of  art  at  the  Vatican.  The  splendid  golden  colours  of  the 
groups  in  the  Transfiguration,  and  the  beauty  of  the  little 
angel  in  the  Madonna  del  Foligno  much  struck  me.  I  have 
not  been  idle  professionally,  I  preach  at  the  9.45  service. 

"  About  the  middle  of  January  it  was  very  severe  weather 
here;  they  say  there  has  not  been  such  a  winter  since  1806. 
The  Triton  in  the  Piazza  Barberini  was  frozen.  We  have 
given  several  days  to  the  Vatican  and  we  give  more  before 
we  leave,  and  we  are  getting  on  with  our  sights  famously. 

"  On  January  the  11th  we  went  to  Cervaro,  where  mamma 
sprained  her  leg  in  stepping  over  a  little  ditch  in  the  Cam- 
pagna,  and  for  ten  days  she  was  obliged  to  keep  in,  but  now 
she  is  well  again,  and  this  afternoon  she  has  been  with  us 
picking  up  marbles  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  Palatine,  with 
sun  gloriously  hot,  but  a  bitter  tramontane  coming  round 
the  corners.  Afterwards  we  saw  the  two  churches  in  the 
Coelian,  and  ended  with  the  preaching  in  the  Coliseum.  We 
are  going  to  see  Gibson's  and  Story's  studios." 

To  THE  Kev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Maxell  23. 
"  Our  time  here  is  drawing  fast  to  an  end,  and  we  have 
been  so  comfortable  and  happy  that  we  are  quite  sorry  to 
leave  Rome.  We  wait  for  the  girandola  on  Monday  night, 
and  then  on  Tuesday  start  for  Tivoli,  returning  here  on 
Thursday,  and  next  day  we  leave  for  Albano,  whence  after 
having  made  some  excursions,  we  go  on  towards  Naples  on 
Tuesday,  stopping  at  San  Germane  to  see  the  famous  Monte 
Cassino.  After  seeing  Naples,  Sorrento,  Salerno,  Peestum, 
and  Capri,  we  hope  to  return  through  Rome  about  May  2, 
and  by  the  Perugia  road    to  Florence,  Bologna,  Ravenna, 


5  See  Mr.  A.  J.  C.  Hare's  "Memorials  of  a  Quiet  Life,"  vol.  ii.  pp.  421,  422. 


1864]  Monie  Cassino.  373 

Venice,  Verona,  Milan,  Lago  d^Orta%  perhaps,  and  Geneva, 
reaching  home,  please  God,  about  June  20/^ 

To  Canon  Eobektson. 

"  Ccupua,  April  5. 

"  I  should  have  written  to  you  before  I  left  Rome,  but 
really  there  is  so  much  to  do,  tanta  roha,  that  I  could  not 
find  time ;  we  got  away  on  Tuesday  to  Tivoli,  exploring  the 
waterfalls  that  afternoon ;  and  on  Wednesday  attempted  to 
get  to  Licenza,  to  Horace's  farm,  but  the  weather  rendei'ed 
it  altogether  out  of  the  question, — rain,  hail,  thunder,  snow, 
wind.  So  we  pulled  up  at  Vicovaro,  where  I  made  acquaint- 
ance with  a  miraculous  winking  Madonna,  and  the  testi- 
monials to  the  same,  to  the  future  edification,  I  hope,  of  the 
readers  of  '  Good  Words/  Thursday  morning,  happily,  was 
glorious,  and  we  got  unaccompanied  into  the  ravine,  and 
sketched  and  enjoyed  it  vastly  ;  in  the  afternoon  we  returned 
to  our  rooms  in  Rome  for  the  last  night ;  we  had  become  quite 
attached  to  them  and  to  the  people,  vrho  have  been  most 
obliging.  On  Friday  we  left  for  Albauo,  where  we  stayed 
till  Monday,  seeing  the  Emissario  on  Friday,  afterwards  the 
Caput  Aquae,  Ferentina,  Rocca  di  Papa,  and  Monte  Cavo. 
On  Saturday  I  walked  home  by  a  way  of  my  own  to  satisfy 
myself  as  to  the  site  of  Alba  Longa,  and  Genzano,  and  the 
Lake  ofNemi.  On  Sunday  we  saw  the  illumination  of  St, 
Peter's  from  the  Porta  Romana  at  night  (it  having  been  put 
off  by  reason  of  bad  weather  on  Easter  Day) .  On  Monday 
we  took  the  train  at  Albano  Station,  and  came  to  San 
Germane  and  Monte  Cassino ;  there  we  slept  last  night  in 
a  veritable  Italian  locanda;  and  this  morning  mounted 
Monte  Cassino ',  fortified  with  a  letter  to  the  Abbot  from 


^  We  crossed  this  lake  and  over  the  Colma  to  Varallo.  His  journal  says, 
"  In  the  most  fearful  thunder-storm  I  was  ever  out  in,  we  took  refuge  under 
the  roof  of  a  chalet,  and  literally  had  to  walk  in  water  nearly  two  miles  to 
reach  Varallo,  where  next  morning  we  went  up  the  Monte  Sacro  and  saw 
forty-six  most  curious  chapels,  full  of  life-size  figures  representing  the  events 
in  oiu-  Lord's  life."  Between  Foliguo  and  Perugia  we  went  to  Assisi,  a 
description  of  which,  and  a  sketch  of  the  monastery  there,  will  be  found  in 
"  Good  Woi-ds." 

7  "  A  Monastery  founded  by  St.  Benedict,  who,  flying  from  the  corruptious 


374  ^^7^  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

Dr.  Smith,  but  we  were  in  high  luck,  it  being  St.  Benedict's 
day.  The  church  is  incomparably  the  richest  in  adornment 
I  have  ever  seen.  St.  Peter's  is  mean  compared  to  it. 
The  whole  floor,  walls  and  altars,  are  Florentine  mosaics, 
flowers,  and  arabesque  patterns  in  the  most  gorgeous  mar- 
bles and  alabasters.  The  monastery  is  of  course  full  of 
interest,  the  libraiy  far  smaller  than  I  expected.  The  good 
monk  who  showed  me  over,  when  I  ventured  to  doubt 
whether  Hildebrand  himself  wrote  in  a  Charter  the 
whole  of  '  Ego  Aldobrandinus  Archidiaconus  R.  E.  sub- 
scripsi,'  and  pointed  to  the  similarity  of  handwriting  of  all 
the  column,  said  this  was  only  because  the  handwritings 
of  the  time  all  looked  alike  to  one  unaccustomed  to  them, 
as  he  added,  do  the  English  handwritings  of  the  present 
day.  By-the-bye  in  the  stranger's  book  he  pointed,  by  way 
of  illustrating  this  his  position,  to  the  signatures  of  Stanley 
and  Hugh  Pearson  ! 

''  We  have  stopped  at  an  indifferent  locanda  here,  partly 
to  see  the  great  amphitheatre  in  the  morning,  and  partly 
because  I  did  not  like  to  face  the  crush  at  the  Naples  Sta- 
tion. We  shall  make  our  entrance  quietly  by  a  local  train 
at  noon  to-morrow.'' 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

'''■'En  route  from  Naples  to  Rome,  May  2. 

"  You  are  the  best  in  the  primissima  class  of  good  girls 
for  writing  so  long  and  so  often.  Now  for  a  jog,  as  the  train 
has  started.  As  Mary  has  told  you  all  about  everything  in 
the  journal  line,  I  will  confine  myself  to  general  impressions, 
especially  as  I  am  already  writing  descriptions  in  my  own 
journal  and  in  '  Good  Words.' 


of  Rome,  had  taken  refuge  in  the  caves  of  Subiaco.  Then  he  removed  from 
holes  in  a  precipice  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain,  and  on  the  sunny  ridge  of 
Monte  Cassino,  which  rises  above  the  valley  of  the  Liris,  and  commands  a 
splendid  panorama  among  the  hills  and  over  the  valley  of  Campagna  j  he 
founded  in  49i  that  retreat  which  for  more  than  1300  years  has  been  one  of 
the  most  famous  monasteries  in  the  world."  (Duke  of  Argyll's  "  lona.") 
In  1869  when  other  monasteries  were  suppressed,  it  was  allowed  to  remain. 


1864]  Pompeii.  375 

"  Our  journey  to  the  south  has  been  a  great  success ;  we 
began  with  cold,  unfavourable  weather,  but  since  then  the  sky 
and  sea  have  been  glorious.  .  .  .  The  inhabitants  of  South 
Italy  are  a  fine  race,  but  they  are  miserably  degraded  by 
centuries  of  despotism,  and  spend  their  wonderful  energies 
in  spasmodic  excitement,  instead  of  honest,  sober  exertion. 
The  Italian  Government  has  a  most  serious  and  difiicult  task 
before  it,  to  bring  about  the  sense  of  order  and  responsibility 
in  this  wild  demoralized  population.  At  present  the  effect 
of  being  citizens  of  a  free  country  is  one  for  the  worse  rather 
than  for  the  better,  but  this  is  only  what  might  have  been 
expected.  It  will  take  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  make  the 
Neapolitan  shriek  into  a  musical  tune.  We  have  this  minute 
crossed  a  large  river,  whose  name  is  given  by  the  following 
riddle,  which,  if  you  have  to  give  up,  William  will  doubtless 
be  able  to  explain: — 

'  Entire  I  flow  ;  headless,  I  shine  in  war ; 
Curtailed,  I  fly ;  embowelled,  have  a  scar.' 

"  I  am  in  a  state  about  my  third  paper  in  '  Good  Words.'' 
There  is  no  paper  of  mine  in  the  May  number.  I  shall  write 
to  Strahan  forthwith.   .  .  . 

"  On  April  9th  we  went  to  Pompeii ;  it  is  wholly  unlike 
any  other  place.  It  is,  and  it  is  not  a  ruin ;  it  fell  asleep,  and 
ages  passed,  and  it  has  awakened  to  a  new  world. 

"  On  the  14th, — From  the  top  of  Vesuvius  the  eye  surveys 
the  broad  lands  round  its  base,  glittering  with  the  sunny 
towns  of  this  our  century ;  and  among  them  we  saw  one  city, 
dark  in  the  sombre  brown.     This  was  Pompeii. 

"On  the  16th,  as  we  went  to  Sorrento,  we  passed  on  that 
beautiful  coast-road  a  spot  where  last  year  some  carriages  were 
stopped  by  brigands.  From  Amalfi,  on  the  18th,  we  went 
to  see  the  old  Moorish  town  Havello,  which  once  had  30,000 
inhabitants  and  thirty  noble  families ;  now  it  can  only  be 
approached  by  a  mule  track. 

"  On  the  25th. — From  Salerno  we  went  to  Psestum,  a  long 
drive  of  twenty-four  miles.  Where  the  temples  stand  is  now 
a  cultivated  district,  and  no  longer  the  haunt  of  buffaloes 


37^  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

and  wild  horses.  Poor^  miserable^  naked  children  beset  the 
ruins,  which  are  most  magnificent.  There  is  no  inn  there. 
We  lunched  and  took  sketches  from  one  of  the  temples. 
On  the  10th  preached  at  Naples,  for  the  new  English  church, 
from  Acts  xxiv.  12 — 14.  After  church  Mr.  Maitland,  the 
Chaplain,  took  us  over  the  church,  and  walked  with  us  up  the 
hill  behind,  below  Castle  St.  Elmo." 

To  THE  Rev.  W.  T.  Bullock. 

'■'■I'alazzo  Barhano,  Venice,  May  30. 

"  We  are  now  enjoying  cloudless  skies  in  this  most  lovely, 
but,  under  present  circumstances,  most  miserable  cities ; 
two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants  have  migrated,  and  more  than 
half  the  houses  near  the  Grand  Canal  are  shut  up.  But  the 
natural  beauties  of  the  place  are  indestructible;  and  we  have 
been,  as  it  were,  in  paradise,  for  the  last  four  days  living 
chiefly  in  our  gondola,  and  in  the  evening  making  excursions 
on  the  lagoons. 

"  On  the  11th  of  May  we  passed  the  lake  of  Thrasymene. 
I  made  out  satisfactorily  the  Sanguinetto  and  the  field  of 
battle,  and  the  pass  which  Hannibal  blocked  up  in  the  second 
Punic  War  about  217  B.C. 

"  In  the  Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  I  was  more  than  ever 
dehghted  with  the  Madonna  del  Cardellino;  and  with  the 
beautiful  picture,  ''The  Salutation,"  by  Albertinelli.  At 
Eavenna,  where  we  spent  last  Sunday,  we  saw  Dante's 
grave,  and  had  a  drive  in  the  great  pine  forest  there. 

"  We  saw  the  mosaics  in  the  choir  of  San  Vitale ;  they 
are  most  gorgeous,  and  very  interesting  historically,  repre- 
senting the  Court  of  Justinian  and  Theodora,  about  a.d. 
565,  each  holding  vases,  and  surrounded  by  their  courtiers. 
We  saw  a  grand  procession  on  the  Angels'  Day,  the  next 
Sunday  after  Corpus  Domini,  wherein,  in  addition  to  usual 
pomps  and  idolatries,  some  half-naked  children,  with  sheep- 
skins and  wings,  personated  angels. 

''  On  the  20th  of  June  we  hope  to  reach  Canterbuiy.  A 
consecration  in  our  cathedral  comes  off  on  St.  Peter's  Day. 
Please  remember  we  want  servants." 


1864]  Employments  at  Canterbtiry.  2s77 

We  returned  to  Canterbury  in  time  to  prepare  for  the 
guests  wlio  were  present  on  June  29,  at  the  consecration  of 
Bishops  Jeune  (Peterborough),  Bromby  (Tasmania),  and 
Crowther  (Niger  Territory). 

Soon  afterwards,  in  addition  to  his  regular  daily  work  at 
the  New  Testament,  he  began  to  write  the  series  of  papers 
published  first  in  the  "  Sunday  Magazine,^'  and  afterwards 
in  three  volumes,  under  the  title  of  "  How  to  Study  the  New 
Testament/^  He  also  prepared  a  new  and  revised  edition  of 
the  "  Queen^s  English ;''  and  a  paper  on  "  The  Special 
Education  of  the  Clergy  ''  (published  in  1869  in  "  Essays  and 
Addresses'^)  was  written  for  the  Church  Congress  at  Bristol. 

A  day's  absence  was  the  cause  of  his  missing  two  royal 
visitors,  the  Princesses  Helena  and  Louise,  who  unexpectedly 
came,  on  July  2nd,  to  visit  the  Cathedral  and  other  anti- 
quities of  Canterbury,  including  the  Deanery. 

The  following  letter  was  written,  on  her  birthday, — 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

^^  Deanery,  Canterbury,  Oct.  22. 

"  Many,  many  happy  returns  of  this  day.  I  have  nothing 
but  a  blessing  this  time  for  you,  for  you  are  in  the  situation 
of  one  in  the  Psalms,  'whose  right  hand  is  full  of  gifts.' 
.  .  .  Well,  my  child,  you  have  been  much  in  our  thoughts  of 
late,  and  are  so  day  by  day.  We  evermore  pray  for  you, 
and  look  for  every  letter  from  you  with  increasing  interest, 
and  thankfulness  to  Him  that  you  are  so  well.  I  suppose 
Mary  tells  you  all  the  news  in  a  far  more  interesting  manner 
than  I  could  if  I  were  to  try.  Mr.  Moore's  house  is  half 
down,  Mr.  Blakesley's  looks  as  if  it  were  coming  down  too, 
and  the  old  school-house  is  all  to  pieces.  I  have  built  an 
additional  little  green-house  for  the  black  Hamburg  vine, 
warmed  by  an  extension  of  the  pipes  of  the  other  house." 

On  December  the  4th  he  was  summoned  to  preach  for  the 
second  time  before  her  Majesty  at  Windsor,  where  he  was 
the  guest  of  the  Dean  of  Windsor.     He  says  in  his  journal : — 

"Preached  at    the    Chapel  from   1    Cor.  xiii.   12.     After 


2,7^  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d,  [Chap.  X. 

service  the  librarian  showed  me  the  library.  WTiilst  we  were 
there,  the  two  young  princes  came  in  to  look  at  some  port- 
folios of  drawings  and  photographs  of  Raifaelle's  Stanze. 
They  are  nice  intelligent  lads.     Prince  Arthur  is  handsome. 

"  On  my  return  to  the  Deanery  I  heard  the  Queen  had 
sent  to  say  she  wished  to  see  me  with  the  Dean  at  three. 
We  were  shown  into  a  small  room,  the  Prince  Consort's 
private  sitting-room,  full  of  furniture,  with  many  little  com- 
forts about.  The  Queen  entered  by  a  door  opposite.  We 
all  stood ;  the  interview  lasted  about  half  an  hour.  .  .  . 
Her  manner  was  very  kind  and  gentle,  quite  such  as  to  lead 
one  on,  and  make  one  at  home." 

He  writes  on  January  1, 1865  : — 

"  0  praise  the  Lord,  my  soul,  for  all  His  mercies  !  Here  I 
am  alive  and  well,  whilst  many  of  my  youth's  friends  are 
cold  in  their  graves." 

Another  mercy  was  soon  added.  Early  on  Sunday, 
February  5,  he  received  a  telegram  announcing  the  birth  of 
our  first  grandchild,  Margaret  Alice  Bullock.  I  had  gone 
to  London  a  few  days  previously,  and  I  received  in  Blandford 
Square  the  following  letter,  dated  February  5,  from  my 
husband : — 

"  Thank  God  for  the  news  which  the  telegram  brought . 
It  arrived  just  as  I  was  in  the  middle  of  pondering  my 
sermon.  It  was  rather  a  trying  dose  for  an  extempore 
preacher  just  going  to  church.  It  is  tantalizing  that  we 
caanot  hear  particulars  till  post  time  to-morrow.  Give  my 
best  love  to  my  darling  girl,  and  tell  her  we  have  just  been 
drinking  the  health  of  'La  Marguerite  des  Marguerites.' 
When  we  got  this  message, — must  it  be  told  ? — we  both 
began  to  cry.  ...  I  shall  long  to  realize  my  new  treasure 
in  a  few  days. 

"  The  '  Creation '  went  oiF  very  well,  on  the  whole,  on  the 
2nd.  On  the  20th  I  had  a  great  meeting  of  amateur  singers, 
Longhurst,  and  others  j  and  we  are  forming  a  '  Canterbury 
Hai'monic  Union,'  for  performing  oratorios,  &c. 

"  Mary  and  I  have  had  a  musical  party,  I  sung  '  Herz, 


1865]  First  Gra7idchild.  379 

mein  Herz '  with  her,  also  a  new  duet  of  mine,  accompanied 
by  Longhurst/' 

He  was  present  at  the  baptism  on  24th  February,  in 
Christ  Church,  Marylebone,  and  wrote  thus  from  Canter- 
bury to  the  Eev.  E.  T.  Vaughan : — 

"  Veh.  26. 

''Many  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  of  congratulation. 
It  is,  indeed,  a  serious  thing  to  be  grandpapa ;  it  seems  to 
show  the  lengthening  of  the  shadows,  and  to  whisper  a 
prayer,  '  Abide  with  us ;  for  it  is  now  evening,  and  the  day  is 
far  spent/  0  my  dear  friend,  what  a  blessing  of  blessings 
it  is  to  be  able  to  look  back  on  a  life,  in  which  though  very 
very  full  of  unworthiness,  I  may  thankfully  say,  that  child- 
hood^s  faith  has  never  been  beaten,  and  my  dear  Lord's 
presence  never  i^emoved.  As  the  shades  fall,  of  course  there 
is  a  solemn  feeling;  but  it  is  not  dread,  only  the  natural 
result  of  uncertainty  as  to  details,  not  as  to  the  final  state, 
but  as  to  the  interval  between  the  change  and  the  resur- 
rection. 

"  Dear  Alice  and  her  little  Margaret  are  right  well.  The 
christening  was  on  Friday,  Ernest  Hawkins,  Miss  Bullock, 
and  Mary  being  sponsors.  In  the  evening  we  left  for 
Canterbury,  I  not  being  sorry  to  have  my  solitude  relieved 
by  the  return  of  mamma  and  Mary. 

"  To-morrow  week  I  go  with  my  Precentor,  Hake,  who  is 
also  my  Biblical  Secretary,  for  a  parson's  three  weeks  among 
the  French  cathedrals.  We  have  been  working  very  hard 
all  the  winter,  and  both  of  us  want  a  change.  Really  the 
work  is  getting  gigantic." 

The  following  letter  was  written  to  our  daughter,  Mrs. 
Bullock:— 

"  Deanerij,  Feb.  26. 

"I  write  a  line  to-night,  my  darling  child,  because  I 
think  you  may  feel  solitary  to-morrow  when  Miss  Yon 
Stadlinger  is  gone,  and  would  like  a  little  cheerfulness. 
What  a  month  of  mercies  you  have  to  look  back  upon,  all 
has  been  so  nicely  ordered  for  you,  that  it  seems  more  like  a 


380  Life  oj  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

pleasant  tale,  than  one  of  the  stiff  reahties  of  this  contrarious 
world.  And  you  have  your  dear  little  one,  not  exactly, 
indeed,  in  the  nearest  and  dearest  of  all  points  entirely  your 
own  (and  this  privation  is,  doubtless,  ordered  for  your  good), 
but  still  a  matter  of  infinite  thankfulness,  and  to  pray  and 
hope  over,  and  watch  and  order  continually,  and  see  growing 
up  from  week  to  week. 

^^Not  being  able  to  nurse  it,  is  a  physical  relief  to  you; 
but  on  one  account  I  rather  regret  it,  that  you  lose  the 
discipline  in  patience  and  long-suffering  which  makes  the 
bloom  of  the  maternal  character.  A  mother  who  has  borne 
with  her  infantas  thousand  wearing  and  worrying  ways,  who 
has  given  up  her  employ  by  day  and  her  rest  by  night  for 
it  for  months  together,  will  be  likely  to  bear  with  its  moral 
faults  and  exercise  patience  in  disciplining  it  for  Christ, 
better,  perhaps,  than  one  who  has  been  spared  all  this. 

"  Bear  this  in  mind,  dear  child,  and  pray  that  your  loss 
may  not  be  for  the  worse,  either  for  yourself  or  dear  little 
Margaret.  I  wish  I  could  get  a  sight  of  you  on  Thursday, 
but  it  is  simply  impossible,  as  I  have  a  Ladies'  Committee  at 
2.15,  at  the  Adelphi,  and  I  want  to  get  away  at  three." 

In  March  he  went  in  company  with  his  friend,  the  Rev.  E,. 
Hake,  a  minor  canon  and  Precentor  of  Canterbury  Cathedral, 
to  visit  some  of  the  French  cathedrals.  An  account  of  this 
tour  was  published  in  ^'  Grood  Words,''  under  the  title  of 
"■  Three  Weeks  among  the  Churches  in  France."  His  im- 
pression of  the  cathedrals  of  Chartres  and  St.  Ouen  are 
described  in  his  journal : — 

"  I  examined  thoroughly  St.  Ouen,  Rouen,  the  most  beau- 
tiful church,  perhaps,  in  the  world.  As  to  Chartres,  nothing 
can  be  more  graceful  and  beautiful  than  the  west  end  of  this 
exquisite  cathedral :  the  spires  are  not  twins,  as  they  have 
been  called,  but  rather  brother  and  sister  of  different  ages, 
one  full  of  elaborate  ornament  and  all  kinds  of  varieties  of 
lines,  the  other  plain  and  severe,  but  not  ungraceful,  as  I 
now  sit  on  a  stone  step  on  the  Place  d'Armes,  looking  on 
them  in  the  bright  March  sun  with  a  black  cloud  bo- 
hind." 


1865]  E^iglish  New  Testament.  381 

And  in  a  letter  of  condolence  to  a  former  pupil  (the  Rev. 
W.  H.  Guruey)^  he  refers  to  his  tour : — 

To  THE  Rev.  W.  H.  Gukney. 

"  Easter  Eve. 

"  I  am  ashamed  not  to  have  sent  you  before  this  some 
words  of  sympathy.  Your  letter  arrived  during  a  short  run 
in  France  which  I  made  in  Mid -Lent,  and  got  into  the  accu- 
mulation which  awaited  me  on  my  return.  You  know  how 
we  feel  for  you,  far  better  than  pen-and-ink  can  tell.  You 
were  with  us  in  our  first  great  sorrow  (1844,  Easter)  :  we 
shall  ever  be  with  you  in  all  yours.  After  all,  what  are  they, 
being  translated  into  Christian  language  ?  what  but,  as  each 
comes,  one  treasure  less  on  earth,  and  one  more  in  heaven. 
I  wish  you  and  your  wife  could  come  and  see  us  some  time 
before  the  summer,  it  would  be  a  real  pleasure  to  get  a  little 
friendly  intercourse  again,  and  especially  now  that,  as  you 
say,  there  is  this  new  tie  between  us.  I  had  a  very  cold  but 
very  enjoyable  run  in  France  with  my  Precentor,  steeple 
chasing.  We  saw  about  a  dozen  glorious  cathedrals,  a 
report  of  which  you  may  perhaps  see  in  '  Good  Words  '  in 
the  September  number.  My  present  work  consists  of 
Yol.  ii.  of  the  English  Testament,  which,  I  hope,  will  appear 
(at  least.  Part  I.  of  it)  in  a  few  weeks ;  several  volumes  of 
the  Greek  Testament  are  going  through  the  press  for  new 
editions,  a  business  which  keeps  me  and  my  secretary,  Hake, 
always  employed,  as  I  make  a  point  of  keeping  the  book 
always  up  to  the  present  mark  of  information." 

The  summer  passed  without  any  very  remarkable  occur- 
rence. His  journal  records  a  garden  party  (which  after- 
wards became  an  annual  institution)  in  the  Deanery  on 
June  20^,  to  the  Canterbury  Harmonic  Union  :  ^'160  singing, 
tea  and  ice  in  the  garden,  supper  in  the  dining-room, 
music,  &c.,  &c.,  up-stairs ;"  and  his  attendance  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  in  which  he  took  much 
interest. 

On  July  20  he  writes,  "  Ecclesiastical  Commission  in  the 
morning ;  afterwards  to  the  Bishop  of  London^s  at  Fulham, 


382  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

to  meet  the  Queen  of  the  Netherlands.  Then  with  Fanny 
and  Mary  to  the  Royal  Academy.  In  the  evening  at  Lady 
Franklin's  to  meet  Queen  Emma  of  Hawaii ;  one  does  not 
often  meet  two  queens  in  one  day.  I  asked  Queen  Emma 
to  come  to  Canterbury  in  the  autumn,  which  she  has  con- 
sented to  do.  On  Sunday  I  am  to  preach  at  the  West- 
minster Abbey  Evening  Service.'' 

Our  autumn  holiday  was  spent  this  year  in  Scotland ; 
he  undertook  the  service  of  the  church  at  Callander  in 
Perthshire.  Leaving  London  on  July  25th,  we  visited  the 
Rev.  Lord  Arthur  Hervey  (afterwards  Bishop  of  Bath  and 
Wells)  at  Ickworth,  and  the  Rev.  H.  Fearon  at  Lough- 
borough, whence  we  went  once  more  to  see  Wymeswold. 

His  journal  will  supply  a  record  of  our  abode  in  Scotland, 
and  of  his  visit  to  the  Norwich  Congress  in  October  : — 

"Aug.  2. — Edinburgh,  after  breakfast  took  a  drive  round 
the  Queen's  Drive,  glorious  day,  views  exquisite;  then  up 
Salisbury  Crags,  and  returning  by  Canongate  and  High 
Street  and  Grass  Market.  Off  at  four  for  Callander^  and  on 
from  thence  to  our  small  farm  in  Bocastle  plain,  just  under 
Benledi. 

"Aug.  4. — After  arranging  and  unpacking,  drove  over  to 
Callander  to  fetch  Vaughan,  who  is  to  spend  a  fortnight 
with  us. 

"  Avg.  8. — Busy  with  my  September  article  on  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  for  the  '  Sunday  Magazine ;'  also  preparing 
for  the  coming  '  Contemporary,'  and  the  new  Hymn  Book 
for  Canterbury  Cathedral.  Our  mornings  are  spent  in 
study,  our  afternoons  in  drives  and  sketches,  generally 
having  our  afternoon  tea  in  some  pretty  spot ;  and  in  the 
evening  I  read  to  them,  and  we  practise  the  12th  Mass, 
which  is  to  be  sung  at  our  Harmonic  Union  at  Canterbury. 

"Aug.  14. — We  all  four  went  to  spend  a  few  days  with 
the  Macnaughtens  at  Invertrosachs ;  the  house  is  most 
prettily  situated,  looking  down  Loch  Venachar. 

"Aug.  15. — Started  over  the  hills  with  Mr.  Macnaughten, 
Vaughan,  &c.,  to  the  Clachan  of  Aberfoyle,  and  on  to  Loch 
Ard  ;  next  day  sketched  and  fished  at  Landrick  Mead. 


1865]  Callander.  383 

"A(^.  19. — We  went  to  Stromvar,,  Mr.  Carnegie^s_,  on 
Loch  Voil ;  most  beautiful  place.  We  were  rowed  on  the 
lake  by  four  men  in  red  shirts  to  the  end  of  Loch  Voil^ 
where  we  landed  and  crossed  over  to  the  little  Loch  Doyne. 
We  did  not  get  to  our  home  under  Benledi  till  eleven  o^clock. 
A  most  enjoyable  day. 

'^  Aufj.  24. — The  Hakes  and  Harry  Thornton  came  by 
coach  and  alighted  at  the  hill  above  our  house.  It  is 
pleasant  to  have  our  Canterbury  friends  in  our  highland 
home. 

^^  AiKj.  26. — Working  at  the  Hymn  Book  with  Hake;  this 
morning  set  off  in  a  carriage  for  Loch  Menteith  and  Loch 
Ard.  We  had  our  lunch  on  the  heather  at  the  top  of 
Loch  Ard,  which  is  very  beautiful.  In  returning  crossed  to 
Inch  Mahone. 

"Sept.  10. — Very  hoarse  and  throat  bad;  happily  Mr. 
Maclagan  turned  up  and  read  prayers  for  me.  A.  K,  H.  B. 
at  church  twice.  We  drank  tea  at  Mrs.  Scott^s  in  the 
evening  to  meet  him. 

"Sept.  11. — Fanny,  Mary,  and  I  by  train  to  Duncrub ; 
a  magnificent  house,  the  whole  party  were  photographed 
outside  the  front  porch.  After  dinner  we  played  croquet  in 
the  hall  by  gaslight. 

"Sept.  12. — Had  much  talk  with  Lord  Rollo  on  men  and 
things.  He  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  a  young  Christian 
nobleman.  Chapel  attached  to  his  house,  and  a  parsonage 
for  the  chaplain,  and  everything  done  in  a  hearty  genuine 
manner  which  delights  me. 

"Sept.  13.  — Left  Duncrub  and  got  to  the  Macnaughtens 
for  dinner,  and  met  a  nice  party  there. 

"  Sept.  14. — For  a  wonder  a  fine  day;  went  with  a  party 
rowing  across  Loch  Venachar  to  the  Trosachs  and  Loch 
Katrine,  and  then  by  the  steamer  to  Stronachlachan,  lunch- 
ing by  the  lake,  and  on  our  return  having  tea  by  a  water- 
fall in  the  Trosachs,  then  crossed  Loch  Venachar  against  a 
head-wind. 

"  Sept.  16. — Left  for  our  cottage,  having  spent  a  dissipated 
week  as  to  work,  but  a  very  pleasant  one  as  to  society. 


3^4  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

"  Sej)t.  25. — Met  Mr.  Buchanan  Hamilton  at  the  bridge, 
and  walked  up  Benledi  with  him ;  yesterday  I  forgot  to 
bring  my  sermon  with  me  to  church,  so  I  preached  on  the 
ten  virgins  from  the  second  lesson.  Received  an  article 
from  B.  Shaw  on  Ritualism,  being  the  first  article  sent  for 
the  '  Contemporary  Review.''  ■" 

We  give  some  extracts  from  two  letters  written  to  Canon 
Robertson  from  Scotland  :  — 

"  Bowcastle,  Se^it.  8. 

"  The  weather  is  simply  execrable ;  water-colours  are  lying 

on  the  shelf,  the  sun  making  a  point  of  retiring  as  soon  as 

I  appear  with  a  sketch-book.    The  fish  I  suppose  are  washed 

away,  at  least,  I  can  get  none.     Such  is  the  state  of  things, 

yet  we  manage  to   enjoy  ourselves  between  whiles,  and  I 

sally  out  rain-proof  over  the  country,  climbing  all  sorts  of 

out  of  the  way  crags.     Sometimes  the   ladies  in  our  trap 

set  me  down  and  go  on  to  Callander  for  letters,  groceries, 

and  flesheries.     We  have  the  Buchanan  Hamiltons  close  to 

us,  at  Leny  House,  and   two  families  near  we  know :  the 

Troughtons  of  Cambusmore  (where  Walter   Scott  wrote  his 

'  Lady  of  the  Lake ')  and  the  Ainslies  at  the  Gart.     I  am  to 

foregather  with  A.  K.  H.  B.  (Dr.  Boyd)  at  tea  on    Sunday 

evening . 

"  Invertrosachs,  Sept.  14. 

"  Our  Rollo  visit  was  most  successful.  He  is  a  very 
choice  fellow,  a  specimen  of  a  Christian  nobleman  of  the 
very  best  kind,  unpretending,  liberal-minded.  He  has  a 
princely  place  at  Duncrub,  and  is  still  enlarging  it.  We 
are  making  out  a  dissipated  week  at  the  Macnaughtens ; 
we  had  a  glorious  day  at  Loch  Katrine  yesterday,  and  my 
shaking  hand  is  due  to  a  hard  pull  against  a  head-wind 
across  Loch  Venachar  on  our  return,  which  used  up  and 
blistered  my  hands.  The  weather  as  you  may  surmise  by 
my  last  sentence  has  taken  a  turn  (owing  I  suppose  to  the 
Queen's  arrival).  By  all  means  persuade  Blakesley^  to  dis- 
pense with  his  wall.'' 


Dean  of  Lincoln, 


1865]  Norivich  Congress.      Vines  Gate.  385 

Journal. 

"  Od.  3. — Slept  at  York  on  my  way  to  the  Norwich  Con- 
gress. Went  to  the  Minster ;  service  well  done,  but  more  than 
ever  disappointed  with  the  building ;  no  genius,  bald,  and 
unharmonized ;  width  too  great  for  height.  Met  Howson, 
and  secured  him  for  the  '  Contemporary  Review/ 

"  At  Norwich  met  Willie  Gurney,  who  took  me  off  to  Earl- 
ham.  In  the  evening  appeared  some  men  from  the  Congress. 
Off  in  a  break  on  the  4th  to  the  Congress ;  Goodwin  read  a 
paper  on  Cathedrals.    Seymour  also  one,  which  I  answered. 

''  Oct.  5. — Pusey  read  a  remarkable  and  beautiful  paper  on 
the  ^  Application  of  Science  to  the  Bible ; '  I  read  my  paper 
on  *■  Preaching  :  its  Adaptation  to  the  Present  Times '  [in 
Essays  and  Addresses]  ^  and  then  off  all  night  through 
York,  Berwick,  and  Edinburgh,  and  home  by  11.30;  thus 
hurried,  as  in  a  few  days  we  are  leaving  Scotland." 

After  our  return  to  Canterbury,  we  met  with  a  disappoint- 
ment in  the  failure  of  Queen  Emma  (in  consequence  of  a 
sudden  attack  of  cold)  to  pay  her  promised  visit.  A  lai-ge 
party,  including  Sir  Brook  [now  Lord  Fitzwalter]  and  Lady 
Bridges,  Mr.  Beresford  Hope  and  Lady  Mildred  Hope,  and 
other  friends  assembled  at  the  Deanery  to  meet  her. 

At  this  time  two  schemes  occupied  much  of  my  husband^s 
thoughts ;  the  first  of  a  personal  character,  the  second  of 
more  general  interest.  He  had  long  wished  to  possess  a 
private  house  in  addition  to  his  ofiicial  residence;  partly  with 
a  view  to  provide  a  home  for  myself  and  our  daughter  in  the 
event  of  his  own  death,  and  partly  for  the  reason  thus  stated 
in  a  letter  to  a  friend  :  "1  wish  to  provide  myself  with  a  home 
in  case  I  am  unfit  for  my  duties  as  Dean,  for  I  have  ever  dis- 
liked the  conduct  of  men  retaining  office  in  the  Church  after 
they  were  past  their  duties  :  and  I  long  ago  resolved,  that 
if  such  should  ever  be  my  case,  I  would  resign  and  retire." 
He  fulfilled  this  intention  by  purchasing  a  lease  of  a  small 
house  commanding  a  remarkably  fine  view,  named  Vines 
Gate,  about  a  mile  from  Brasted,  near  Sevenoaks.  It  became 
afterwards  a  pleasant  occupation  to  add  year  by  year  some- 
thing to  the  furniture  of  the  house,  or  to  the  grounds. 


386  Life  of  Dean  Alf or d.  [Chap.  X. 

The  other  scheme  which  now  engaged  him  was  the  esta- 
blishment of  the  '^  Contemporary  Review"  (see  page  363). 
A  great  deal  of  time  and  trouble  were  given  to  engaging 
the  assistance  of  a  sufficient  staff  of  contributors  for  a 
monthly  magazine  of  about  150  pages,  and  to  defining  the 
ground  which  it  was  intended  to  occupy,  and  the  subjects  of 
which  it  was  to  treat.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  he  says,  "  I 
trust  we  are  doing  good  service  against  Ritualism  and  extra- 
vagancies of  every  kind,  and  are  serving  literature  and  art 
too." 

The  following  letter  glances  at  his  various  employments  in 
the  last  months  of  1 865.  • 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Dec.  18. 

"  I  really  am  ashamed  ('  and  so  you  ought ,'  echo)  of  the 
time  since  I  have  written  to  you;  but  if  I  were  to  mention 
the  very  busiest  period  of  my  busy  life  I  should  name  the 
last  two  months.  Since  our  return  from  Scotland,  I  have 
had  many  irons  in  the  fire ;  my  ever-pressing  Greek  and 
English  Testaments  ;  the  preparation,  in  union  with  the  Pre- 
centor, of  a  Canterbury  Hymn  Book,  complete  with  tunes  for 
the  Sundays  in  the  year.  The  editorship  of  the  now  nascent 
^  Contemporary  Review,^  which  has  gathered  round  it  a  stafi"  of 
nearly  fifty  of  the  best  men  in  the  country,  and  is  really  a 
thing  worth  doing  well.  The  multifarious  cares  of  our  Cathe- 
dral and  this,  in  a  time  of  growing  reform,  both  in  buildings 
and  institutions  ;  and  added  to  all,  a  pleasant  supplement,  yet 
requiring  time  and  travel,  the  arrangement  about  our  new 
second  home,  now  almost  matured.  I  have  heard  of  a  farm- 
house converted  into  a  '  cottage  ornee,'  belonging  to  Mr. 
Tipping,  of  Brasted  Park ;  it  is  in  a  most  lovely  spot,  on  a 
hill  half  way  up  Toy's  Hill  from  Brasted,  commanding  a  view 
down  a  wooded  glen  over  Lord  Amherst's  and  Lord  Stan- 
hope's parks,  and  away  as  far  as  Sevenoaks.  This  place  I 
hope  to  take  for  a  long  lease." 

The  following  reflections  entered  in  his  journal  on  Decem- 
ber 31,  1865,  may  conclude  the  account  of  that  year. 


1 866]  Retrospect.     Domestic  Events.  387 

"  It  lias  pleased  my  gracious  God  wonderfully  to  preserve 
me  and.  mine  during  another  year.  It  has  been  one  of  peace 
and  domestic  happiness  for  us  all^  and  full  of  blessings.  The 
chief  event  in  it  has  been  the  birth  of  our  dear  little  grand- 
child. 

"  I  have  become  Editor  of  the  ^  Contemporary  Reviev^/  the 
first  number  of  which  came  this  morning.  I  have  got  through 
much  of  the  last  part  of  my  English  Testament,  and  have 
written  much  in  the  '  Sunday  Magazine '  on  the  Use  of  the 
New  Testament  Books.  After  our  return  from  Scotland 
dawned  the  project  of  a  cottage  in  West  Kent,  and  I  am  now 
in  treaty  for  Vines  Gate  near  Brasted. 

"In  health  I  have  been  very  much  better  than  for  some 
years  past,  having  nearly  lost  palpitations,  and  feeling  clear 
in  my  head ;  able  for  any  amount  of  work.  Praise  God  for 
all  His  mercies  to  me  and  mine.^' 

In  the  beginning  of  1866  two  events  gave  pleasui-e  in  our 
family  circle  :  a  second  granddaughter,  Edith  Mary  Bullock, 
was  born  on  January  29th,  and  he  went  to  London  for  the 
christening  on  February  24th.  Almost  contemporaneous 
with  this  event  was  the  engagement  of  our  younger  daughter 
Mary  to  our  neighbour,  the  Rev.  H.  E.  T.  Cruso,  at  that  time 
a  Master  in  the  King's  School,  Canterbury.  My  husband 
refers  to  it  in  the  following  letter  : — • 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  congratulations  and  wishes ;  all 
has  indeed  been  most  mercifully  ordered  for  us  and  our 
dear  child ;  she  has  had  sound  sense  and  discretion  enough 
to  choose  one  in  every  way  worthy  of  her.  Thank  you  too 
for  your  kind  sympathy  on  our  coming  loss  of  Mary.  I 
shall  feel  it  very  deeply ;  but  I  should  feel  far  more  deeply 
the  having,  in  any  the  least  degree,  interfered  with  her 
prospects  in  life,  and  I  have  always  found  by  experience 
that  in  proportion  as  in  any  of  our  acts  self  is  forgotten, 
just  in  that  proportion  is  a  rich  reward  reaped, 
c  c  2 


388  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

''  You  see  what  a  terrible  accident  has  befallen  our 
poor  Master',  I  fear  likely  to  be  fatal;  a  sad  end  for  so 
great  a  man.  I  am  just  putting  the  finishing  stroke  to 
the  Apocalypse  for  the  English  Testament ;  it  will  be  quite 
another  life  when  it  is  done.^' 

He  took  part  in  a  Mission  held  at  Eeading  in  February, 
and  in  a  course  of  Lenten  Sermons  at  Oxford.  The  good 
effects  which  he  traced  to  such  efforts,  suggested  to  him 
the  plan  of  a  similar  attempt  to  revive  spiritual  life  in 
his  Cathedral  city ;  and  he  arranged  a  course  of  popular 
addresses  in  school-rooms  attached  to  the  different  parishes 
(as  will  be  seen)  in  the  following  December. 

In  July  we  went  with  our  daughter  and  Mr.  Cruso  to 
visit  our  relations  in  Somersetshire ;  and  my  husband, 
leaving  us  there,  made  a  short  excursion  by  himself  into 
Cornwall,  the  fruits  of  which  were  a  considerable  addition, 
to  the  increasing  number  of  his  water-colour  sketches. 

The  following  letter  was  written  from  thence  to  our 
daughter  Mary : — 

'^Lizard  Town,  July  17. 

"  Who  would  have  thought  that  my  first  occupation 
should  be  writing  to  you  ?  well,  so  it  is,  I  remember  the 
little  figure,  the  affectionate  chiselled  face,  as  it  stood 
at  the  door  of  the  Mount,  and  a  certain  cord  pulled 
and  I  gave  way.  The  journey  was  long  enough.  The 
calm  decorum  of  Exeter  spread  over  its  hill  with  its  two- 
towered  cathedral,  like  a  hen  brooding  over  it ;  then  the 
well  known  line  of  red  coast  and  the  accustomed  pang 
and  tear  in  the  eye  as  a  certain  bay  of  sorrow  came  in 
sight.  Sixteen  years  ago — oh  darling,  what  would  he  have 
been  now?  Yes,  but  what  is.  he  now.?  Then  the  town 
of  Dartmoor,  to  the  right  far  looming  in  grey  mist;  then 
the  varied  majesty  of  Plymouth,  its  well  known  haunts  of 
great  cork-trees,  and  the  massive  towers  of  docks.  The 
roaring    rush    over    Saltash    bridge    into   Cornwall ;    then 


"  Dr.  Whewell,  Master  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  wlio  died  a  few  days 
after  a  fall  from  his  horse. 


1 866]  "  The  Year  of  Prayer''  389 

tlie  succession  of  wooded  glens  and  tall  viaducts,  and 
town  after  town  until  we  came  to  tlie  end  of  tlie  terminus  at 
Falmoutb,  witli  the  spruce,  well  be-vesselled  basin  on  the  left, 
and  the  roaring  ocean  to  the  right ;  then  half  an  hour  in  a 
smoky  coflFee-room,  and  a  two-horse  fly  and  a  tedious  drive 
of  twenty-two  miles,  till  it  grew  dark,  darker,  and  darkest, 
I  at  length  with  head  out,  looking  for  the  flare  of  the 
Lizard  lights,  twice  mistook  a  glowworm  on  the  heath  for 
them;  at  length  a  hazy  luminosity  ahead,  lo  it  is  done.  I 
am  going  after  breakfast  to  put  in  the  outline  of  a  picture  of 
the  Bumbles  -,  then  to  the  Cove,  to  which  I  remember  going 
with  you  between  the  Lizard  and  Penolver  Head,  and  make 
as  good  a  picture  as  I  can  without  any  sun/^ 

The  fruits  of  his  literary  activity  this  year  will  be  seen 
in  the  Appendix.  One  of  them  requires  particular  men- 
tion. "The  Year  of  Prayer"  is  a  book  which  contains 
original  family  prayers,  and  a  calendar  of  short  lessons  for 
every  day  in  the  year ;  and,  after  its  publication,  it  was  con- 
stantly used  in  our  own  household.  Its  daily  plan  is  simple, 
and  may  be  thus  generally  described :  first,  a  passage  of 
Scripture  of  about  ten  verses :  secondly,  an  original  prayer 
appropriate  to  the  day  of  the  week — there  are  fourteen  of 
these,  one  for  each  morning  and  evening ;  thirdly,  another 
original  prayer  appropriate  to  the  Church  season,  and  gene- 
rally founded  on  the  Epistle  or  Gospel  of  the  week;  this 
prayer  is  designed  to  be  used  throughout  the  week,  and 
sometimes  to  be  followed  by  another  special  prayer ;  fourthly, 
the  Lord^s  Prayer.  The  twenty-four  prayers  for  special 
occasions  of  family  or  local  interest,  many  of  which  are  pecu- 
liarly original,  are  collected  together  in  an  appendix.  The 
introduction  of  a  hymn  is  suggested  on  Sunday  evenings. 
In  the  preface  he  points  out  three  distinct  features  of  the 
book :  its  constant  reference  to  the  course  of  the  Church's 
Year,  its  attempt  at  great  plainness  of  language,  and  the 
frequency  with  which  the  prayers  are  addressed  to  the 
second  Person  in  the  blessed  Trinity. 

He  notes  with  thankfulness  in  his  journal,  in  March,  1866, 
the  completion  of  his  New  Testament  for  English  Readers, 


390  Life  of  Deaji  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

by  the  publication  of  the  Second  Part  of  the  Second  Volume. 
He  regarded  this  and  his  Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testa- 
ment as  constituting  one  whole  labour,  his  principal  occu- 
pation for  twenty-four  years. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  a  few  unconnected  extracts 
from  his  journal,  by  way  of  showing  the  diversity  of  his 
occupations  in  this  year : — ■ 

''April  6. — The  King^s  School  athletic  sports.  Vocal 
rehearsal  of  music  of  'Judas  Maccabgeus.'  Off  to-morrow 
for  Cambridge,  where  I  preach  for  four  Sundays, 

''April    7. — Cambridge.      Eooms    in    my    old    staircase. 

Chapel   in    the  morning,  with  M .     After  breakfast  to 

see  St.  John^s  new  Chapel  and  the  cricket-ground  and  rifle- 
butts  behind  the  Colleges.  At  two  at  St.  Mary^s,  and 
preached  on  the  Eesurrection,  After  dining  in  Hall  left  at 
5.20  for  town,  caught  the  train  at  Ludgate,  and  got  to 
Canterbury  at  ten,  where  I  found  the  Archbishop,  who 
confirms  to-morrow. 

"April  18. — Returned  yesterday  in  time  for  the  Diocesan 
Meeting.  Lord  Sydney,  Lord  Camden,  Lord  Romney, 
Lord  Amherst,  Lord  Sondes,  and  others,  came  to  the 
Meeting,  and  all  the  world  to  lunch  at  the  Deanery.  In  an 
old  wall  in  the  Mint-yard  were  found  some  boys'  names  cut, 
dated  1553. 

"May  2. — Convocation:  then  Literary  Fund  Dinner  in 
Willis's  Rooms. 

"  Some  of  our  old  Deans '  are  sent  up  to  the  Portrait 
Gallery  Exhibition  this  year." 

In  the  autumn  we  removed  for  two  months  to  our  new  and 
quiet  house.  Vines  Gate,  near  Brasted ;  and  from  thence  he 


1  Twenty-eight  portraits  of  successive  Deans,  beginning  witli  Nicholas 
Wotton,  1541,  adorn  the  walls  of  the  hall  and  the  principal  rooms  in  the 
Deanery.  They  are  heirlooms,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  recognized  custom  for 
each  Dean  to  leave  his  portrait.  One  or  two  of  them,  particularly  Dean 
Bargrave,  and  perhaps  Dean  Eogers  (see  "  Letters  from  Abroad,"  p.  99, 
2nd  edit.),  are  valuable,  not  only  from  their  antiquity  and  local  associatiou, 
but  as  works  of  art.  Dean  Alford's  portrait  was  the  work  of  our  friend, 
Lowes  Dickinson,  and  was  painted  in  the  year  1860.  Dean  Bargrave's 
portrait  is  the  work  of  Cornelius  Jansen,  who  lived  several  years  in 
England  during  James  I.'s  time. 


i866]  "  The  Year  of  Praisey  391 

paid  a  visit  (to  wliicli  lie  often  referred  with  peculiar  pleasure) 
to  the  Rev.  Sir  F.  G.  Ouseley,  at  Tenbury,  Gloucestershire. 
They  had  been  brought  into  communication  by  Sir  F.  G. 
Ouseley  most  kindly  writing  some  tunes  for  my  husband's 
projected  Hymn  Book ;  and  my  husband  went  to  preach  at  a 
Choral  Union  at  Tenbury.  He  says  in  a  letter  : — "  I  had  a 
most  awful  headache  on  the  day  of  preaching,  but,  happily,  it 
held  up  just  in  time  for  service.  All  at  Sir  F.  G.  Ouseley's 
most  charming,  all  his  own  work.  A  college  for  training 
gentlemen's  sons  chorall}^,  no  Ritualism,  but  all  thorough 
Church,  like  a  splendid  great  concert." 

"  The  Year  of  Praise,''  which  was  published  in  1867,  had 
been  in  careful  preparation  for  many  months.  Among  its 
contents  are  several  original  hymns,  which  my  husband  com- 
posed in  his  solitary  daily  walks  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Canterbm-y.  His  journal  shows  that  five  of  these  (148,  158, 
174,  213,  229)  were  thus  produced  in  five  consecutive  days. 
The  tunes  were  mostly  chosen,  and  some,  indeed,  were  com- 
posed, at  a  weekly  meeting  between  himself  and  his  friend 
and  coadjutor,  the  Rev.  R.  Hake,  on  Sunday  evenings.  The 
primary  intention  of  the  Ijook  was  to  serve  as  the  means  of 
introducing  congregational  hymnody  into  the  service  in 
Canterbury  Cathedral.  It  contains  326  hymns,  each  printed 
with  its  music,  four  hymns  being  assigned  to  each  Sunday 
or  principal  holiday,  and  about  fifty  being  appropriate  to 
special  occasions.  Previous  to  the  publication  of  this  book, 
and  while  his  mind  was  full  of  the  subject,  he  wrote  in  the 
"  Contemporary  Review,"  March,  1866,  an  article  on 
"  Church  Hymn  Books,"  in  which  he  criticizes  at  consider- 
able length  the  contents  of  nine  of  the  most  popular 
collections. 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Vines  Gate,  Sept.  6. 

"  '  The   Family  Prayers '   have  been  ready  for  publication 

for  three  weeks ;  Strahan  is  only  keeping  them  back  for  the 

publishing  season.     '  The  Year  of  Praise'  is  rapidly  getting 

on,  and  will  be  ready  before  the  end  of  the  year.     The  Dean 


392  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

of  York  sent  me  au  invitation  to  come  and  make  a  speech 
at  tlie  Congress  on  '  tlie  use  of  Cathedrals^  Ecclesiastical^ 
Musical,  and  Spiritual/  to  last  ten  minutes  !  I  respectfully 
declined ;  the  thing  will  become  a  far<3e  unless  they  diminish 
the  number  of  speeches,  and  have  but  one  essay  on  each 
subject,  I  am  employed  at  this  moment  on  lighter  litera- 
ture. '  Felix  Holt  ^  was  mine  in  the  September  '  Contem- 
porary,^ and  I  am  now  writing  an  article  on  '  Eecent  Poetry,* 
besides  various  notices.  In  one  of  these  I  have  rather  a 
fierce  slap  at  our  friends  the  Church  Milliners ;  for  as  to 
Eitualism,  I  am,  and  ever  shall  be,  its  uncompromising  foe." 

Journal. 

"  JVbv.  13. — After  dining  at  Mitchinson's,  went  into 
the  Green  Court  to  see  the  meteors.  They  began  about 
twelve,  a  most  magnificent  display ;  many  at  a  time  in  the 
sky  gliding  from  north-east  to  south-west,  and  leaving  a 
trail  which  lasted  many  seconds.  At  its  height  at  1.1 5j  then 
declining. 

"Nov.  27. — To  town  at  Hamilton's.  Lectured  at  Exeter 
Hall  on  '  True  and  False  Guides.* 

"Dec.  13.— The  rest  dined  at  Mr.  Bell's.  I  stayed  to 
address  the  people  in  St.  Mildred's  School-room. 

"  Dec.  14.— Went  to  the  early  Communion  at  St.  Mildred's. 

"Dec.  20. — To  town:  Ecclesiastical  Commission;  dark 
as  night.  Telegraphed  to  say  I  could  not  return,  but  did  in 
time  for  Mr.  Woodward's  address  in  St.  Paul's  School 
Room.*' 

To  THE  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"Nov.  22. 

"  I  send  you  two  books,  ^  The  Family  Prayers/  (or  '  The 
Year  of  Prayer,')  of  which  you  know  ;  and  another,  of  which 
the  only  remarkable  thing  is,  that  the  whole  edition  sold  on 
the  day  of  publication  {'  How  to  Study  the  New  Testa- 
ment ') ;  so  that  I  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  six  cojDies 
for  my  friends.     I  lecture  at  Exeter  Hall  on  the  27th. 

"We  had  a  Consecration  at  Brasted  on  Saturday.  The 
Archbishop  preached. 


1 866]  Marriage  of  yotuiger  Daiighter.  393 

"  I  return  this  afternoon  to  a  school  examination  to- 
morrow at  Canterbury.  On  Saturday  Audit  begins.  On 
Monday  I  have  arranged  an  Advent  Mission  in  the  slums  of 
Canterbury  this  year.  Dr.  Miller  begins  by  an  Addi-ess  on 
December  4th." 

The  marriage  of  our  daughter  Mary  was  an  important 
family  event  in  the  early  part  of  1867.  The  following 
characteristic  letter  was  written  with  reference  to  it  to  our 
intimate  and  valued  friend,  Fraulein  Caroline  von  Stadlinger, 
then  living  with  her  father,  General  von  Stadlinger,  at  the 
castle  of  Comburg,  near  Hall,  in  Swabia.  Her  presence  at 
the  wedding  was  especially  desired  by  her  former  pupil,  and 
my  husband  thus  made  the  wish  known  :  — 

"Deanery,  Canterhitry,  Dec.  18. 

"Will  you,  can  you,  'come  over  and  help  us^?  Our 
darling  child  is  to  be  married  in  the  middle  of  February, 
and  she  says,  '  0  that  I  could  have  Caroline  here  !  no  one 
could  be  so  useful,  or  give  me  so  much  help.^  I  too  urge 
the  same  request.  Much  devolves  on  me  at  such  times,  and 
the  legs  are  more  liable  to  get  worn  than  they  were  ten  years 
ago.  Mary  is,  thank  God,  much  better,  but  obliged  to  be 
careful  and  to  avoid  fatigue.  Your  presence  would  just  ease 
her  from  many  little  exertions  which  she  would  have  other- 
wise to  make ;  and  so  do  come,  there  is  a  dear  girl !  and 
make  us  all  happy.  It  would  do  if  you  were  here  on  the 
1  st  of  February,  and  if  you  could  stay  a  little  after  the  event 
it  would  be  a  great  pleasure ;  but  this  must  be,  of  course, 
according  to  your  own  engagements.  Alice  and  her  children 
are  well,  and  are  to  spend  Christmas  with  us.  There  will,  of 
course,  be  a  family  gathering  at  the  wedding.  Excuse  me 
for  adding  that  your  journey  shall  be  no  expense  to  you. 
Please  say  all  that  is  kind  to  your  father  and  die  liehe 
Emma.''^ 

Whilst  he  was  busy  in  preparation  for  the  wedding,  and 
was  anticipating  with  natural  depression  the  vacancy  which 
v>ras  about  to  be  made  in  our  house,  his  attention  was  diverted 
to  the  necessary  accompaniments  of  an  event  of  a  different 
kind.     On  February  2ud  Bishops  R.  Milman,  of  Calcutta ; 


394  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  X. 

W.  C.  Sawyer,  of  Grafton  and  Armidale;  and  C.  E.  Alford 
(our  distant  cousin),  of  Victoria,  were  consecrated  in  Canter- 
bury Cathedral. 

The  wedding  took  place  on  February  12th.  His  record  of 
this  and  the  preceding  days  is  as  follows  : — 

"Feh.  7.— To  town;  Ecclesiastical  Commission.  Brought 
Etty  [Alford]  down  with  me.  Caroline  came  a  week  ago,  all 
the  way  alone  and  from  Germany,  during  the  severe  frost 
and  snow,  to  be  present. 

'^ Fch.  9. — Alice  and  her  babes  and  Granny ^,who  is  much 
aged,  came.  Very  pleasant  altogether  in  the  evening.  Last 
days  of  happiness,  i.  e.  of  one  sort.  Happiness  alone  and 
with  God  we  may  have  again,  but  with  our  children  never. 

"Feb.  10. — A  large  party  at  church.  God  grant  that  her 
approaching  marriage  may  be  for  His  glory  and  her  own 
good! 

''Feb.  11. — Very  busy  all  day  preparing.  People  come 
arriving  all  day.  Very  sad  thoughts,  but  it  is  for  the  best 
for  her  and  for  me. 

"Feb.  12.— My  darling  child  married.  She  went  through 
all,  and  we  also,  most  cheerily  and  happily ;  our  guests,  too, 
were  most  kind,  and  all  pathos  was  avoided.  It  was  a  day 
to  thank  God  for.  A  large  party  in  the  evening.  Songs, 
&c.,  from   the  choir.     Everything   went  off  well :  So^a  tc5 

Canon  Selwyn  sent  two  epigrams  to  be  read  at  the  break- 
fast.    These  may  be  interesting  to  some  readers  : — 

EXEMPLARIA   QU^DAM,   NULLIUS   PEETII,  HOC   ARGUMENTUM 
EXHIBUIT. 
MTjSer  TOvSe  yd/xov  ixeravoiav,  xpvcre,  irapdaxot, 

/iTjS'  virh  T7JS  ttoAAtjs  (1)  leipofiivw  AaXias' 
jUTjSe  iro6\  ola  irdXat  ■n-p6yoi'os  aedeu  iK\v€  (pocvris 

TToAAa/ci  (2)  (paffKovarjs,  "  Xpva'  eAeftve  "  kAvois 
Xalpois,  tS  (piAe  xputre,  TT(pnr\oiJi(UODV  eviavraiy 
ad  rij  TToWij  (1)  Tep-nSfXfVos  (pi\ia. 

Hsec  serioris  esse  notco  nemo  sanus  non  videt;  vcrborum  lusus  piicrilis 
indicasse  sufficiat. 

(1)  Videtur  f)  iroWi]  inepte  alludere  ad  novrc  nuptaa  pra3nomeii  "Mary  " 
quod  Anglice  =  "  Polly." 

(2)  Idem  jocus  insulsus  in  voce  iroAAoKj  narrationem  Eobinsoni  Crusoe 


'  The  widow  of  his  father,  the  Rev.  U.  Alford,  sec  p 


1 866]  Letters  to  Grandchildren.  395 

tangit,  qui  solus  in  insula  deserta  vitam  degens  Psittacum  suum  (Anglice 
Foil)  clamitantem  audiit  "  Poor  Crusoe  !  "  "  Poor  Ckusoe  !" 

Xpvcre  <pi\',  evKaipaii  &\oxov  ndyxpvffov  iyri^as 
ir\ijdov(rav  xap''''''"'  a/x/xiya  iravTOTrSpuiv  (1), 

^  (ptXiova   dper^c,  aocpitju  t  ,  iirtripoiTi  ndvra, 
eu  ix6vov  v(TTfpeovcr', — ov  (piASxpvcros  erjv. 

icvKKonpel  xp^'^V  C^^X^^v^i  cpiAjicreTov  &fj.<bot> 
Xpwffe  ffii  T^v  XP^"'^'^"'  'h  Se  ffe  xP^c^t  I'a^ii'. 

(1)   Videturfaniiliam  Alfordianam  innuere. 

A  few  days  after  the  wedding  he  went  to  London,  to  take 
part  in  an  important  debate  in  Convocation,  and  he 
records  : — 

"Feb.  16. — A  most  pleasant  evening  at  the  Deanery, 
Westminster.  Met  the  Duke  of  Argyll,  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Gladstone,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  Cowper,  Plumptre,  Mr.  Eogers 
of  Charter  House,  and  Dr.  Norman  Macleod." 

But  the  excitement,  mixed  up  with  depressing  feelings  of 
which  this  month  was  full,  brought  on  a  slight  illness,  and 
he  sought  relief  in  a  short  visit  to  the  Riviera.  Two  notes 
which  he  wrote  about  this  time  to  his  grandchildren  will 
show  the  warmth  of  his  attachment  even  to  the  youngest 
of  his  family.  The  first  is  tinged  with  the  sadness  which 
oppressed  him  at  that  time  :  — 

"  Deakest  little  Margaret, — This  is  your  third  birthday, 
and  Grandpapa  wishes  to  give  you  his  blessing  and  all  good 
wishes.  Perhaps  Mamma  will  put  by  this  letter  for  you,  and 
you  may  read  it  on  some  birthday  years  hence,  when  the 
hand  that  is  writing  it  is  lying  still  in  its  cofiin  under  the 
ground.  If  this  is  so,  remember,  dear  child,  that  there  is 
but  one  way  to  be  happy,  and  that  is  the  fear  of  God  and  the 
love  of  your  parents.     God  bless  you,  dear  girl,  prays 

"  Your  affectionate  Grandfather.-'^ 

By  way  of  acknowledgment  of  this  birthday  greeting,  he 
received  on  the  thirty-second  anniversary  of  our  wedding  a 
locket  containing  photographs  of  the  two  children,  which 
drew  from  him  the  following  letter  to  Margaret  and  Edith 
(written  very  large,  and  in  jagged  letters)  : — 


39^  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

"  Deanery,  Canterhiiry,  March  10. 

^^  Dear  little  Women^ — Grandpapa  feels  so  very  old;  lie 
lias  been  married  thirty-two  years,  and  his  hands  shake  from 
age.  But  he  must  have  some  strength  left,  for  he  has  two 
young  Bullocks  hanging  at  his  watch-chain,  and  they  don't 
tire  him.  Thank  you,  little  darlings,  for  your  kind  present, 
and  God  bless  you  both.  By,  by,  Margaret !  ta,  ta,  Edith  ! 
From  your  venerable  ancestor." 

In  obedience  to  an  invitation  from  Archbishop  Longley, 
he  went  to  Lambeth  in  Ember  Week  to  preach  the  Ordina- 
tion Sermon.     He  records  the  visit  in  his  journal : — 

"Feb.  16. — Found  my  sermon  to  the  candidates  for 
Ordination  was  to  be  in  the  Parish  Church  instead  of  the 
Chapel.     Had  to  sit  up  and  rewrite  it  at  night. 

''Feb.  17. — Ordination  at  eleven.  The  candidates  asked 
me  to  publish  my  sermon.  Dinner  with  them  all  at  two. 
Spent  a  pleasant  day.  The  Archbishop  very  nice  in  his  own 
house. 

"Feb.  18. — After  breakfast  Mr.  Longley  took  us  over  the 
Lollards'  Tower,,  and  Mr.  Stubbs,  the  Librarian,  showed  us 
the  Library." 

He  left  England  on  March  27th,  and  returned  on 
April  20th.  This  tour  added  to  the  materials,  both 
literary  and  pictorial,  out  of  which  his  book  on  the  Riviera 
was  subsequently  composed.  Two  or  three  extracts  from 
his  letters  will  supply  a  sufficient  record  for  these  pages  : — 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.   Hamilton. 

"  Cannes,  March  31. 
"  I  am  out  for  three  weeks  after  our  great  event,  which 
left  me,  when  the  excitement  had  passed  away,  in  low  spirits, 
and,  according  to  everybody's  opinion,  needing  change ;  but 
I  dreaded  leaving  home,  and  I  don't  find  as  yet  that  my 
dread  was  unfounded.  I  came  straight  without  stop,  leaving 
at  nine  on  Wednesday  morning,  and  arriving  here  at  5.30  on 
Thursday  afternoon;  seeing  the  English  Channel  and  the 
Mediterranean  on  consecutive  days.     At  Orange  lilacs  were 


1867]  A7iother  Visit  to  the  Riviera.  397 

in  bloom.  At  Marseilles  we  liad  green  peas  ;  tlie  spring 
flowers  are  over_,  and  the  gardens  are  in  full  bloom.  I  pro- 
pose exploring  some  of  tlie  lateral  vallies  at  right  angles  to 
the  Riviera  road  from  here  to  Bordighera ;  they  are  reported 
very  fine,  with  villages  perched  on  rocks,  and  grand  moun- 
tain views.  Here  there  are  great  tracts  of  forest,  rocks  full 
of  scrubby  firs,  with  an  undergrowth  of  ferns  and  myrtle ; 
but  the  sea  is  glorious,  and  the  view  of  the  Estrelle  Moun- 
tains also  is  always  fine.'^ 

To  HIS  WifE   {on  first  leaving  home). 

"Now  one  has  got  away  from  home,  the  events  of  this 
eventful  spring  look  like  a  dream. 

"I  flitting  away  from  home,  a  boy  of  fifty-seven,  to  enjoy 
a  holiday  a  boy  of  twenty-five  would  despise.  It  all  looks 
so  strange  and  hizarre,  but  far  above  it  all  is  an  atmosphere 
of  calm,  sunny  thankfulness  to  think  and  feel,  'Not  more 
than  others  I  deserve,  but  God  hath  given  me  more.' 

"  Life  has  entered  on  a  new  phase  for  us  both,  and  I  sup- 
pose we  must  make  the  best  of  it  for  God's  work  while  it 
lasts.  I  am  taking  this  tour  in  hopes  of  being  set  up  phy- 
sically for  the  work  which  God  may  yet  have  for  me  to  do, 
I  am  sure  I  must  be  the  dullest  of  companions,  for  I  am 
sensible  of  not  speaking  one  word  where  I  used  to  speak 

ten. 

"  Thou  who  art  weeping 
When  all  are  sleeping, 
Sad  vigil  keeping 

Far  into  night, 
Nurse  not  thy  sorrow 
Into  to-morrow ; 
From  Jesus  borrow 

Comfort  and  strength. 
Long  though  He  try  thee. 
Still  lie  stands  by  thee ; 
He  shall  supjily  thee 

Richly  at  length." 

To  HIS  Wife  {a  few  days  after). 

"  I  had  a  bright,  almost  a  cloudless  passage,  the  sea  re- 
taining some  traces  of  the  storm  the  day  before.  I  ran  on 
through  Paris,  dining  at  the  Gare  de  Lyon;  the  morning 


39^  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

broke  with  splendid  sunsliine,  and  the  Valley  of  the  Rhone 
was  burning  and  sparkling  all  the  way  to  Vienne.  On  the 
mountain  tops  was  snow,  and  dense  vapours  soon  rolled  up 
and  shut  out  the  sunshine.  I  am  at  the  Beau  Site  at  Cannes 
by  A.  Harems  advice  ;  their  society  here  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  me.  I  have  been  sketching  a  good  deal;  a  view  on  the 
high  road  to  Toulon,  on  a  picturesque  knoll,  with  pines  and 
cypresses,  and  a  little  hermitage  chapel  called  St.  Cassian. 
I  went  to  a  village  the  other  side  of  the  bay  under  the 
Estrelle  Mountains  called  Napouli ;  here  I  had  only  an  hour 
for  my  sketch ;  it  was  a  glorious  view  of  the  coast  down  to 
Bordighera,  with  such  a  background  of  snowy  Alps  behind 
in  all  their  glory.  From  the  Pare,  a  lighthouse  at  the  top 
of  the  promontory,  there  is  one  of  the  most  glorious  views 
in  Europe.  It  is  now  like  June  in  England,  orange  trees  all 
in  blossom.  I  am  trying  a  sketch  from  my  bedroom  window 
looking  over  Lord  Brougham^s  grounds ;  above  is  a  hill, 
with  his  pine  wood,  and  the  usual  undergrowth  here  of  a 
thousand  flowers ;  to  the  right  Cannes  and  the  deep  blue  sea ; 
the  Isle  of  St.  Marguerite,  where  dwelt  the  Man  in  the  Iron 
Mask  [1686 — 1698].  I  have  been  to  lunch  at  the  Riddells. 
He  looks  ill.  His  daughters  look  more  blooming  every  time 
I  see  them.  I  have  been  to  Turbia,  where  Charles  Albert 
abdicated,  in  1849,  after  the  battle  of  No  vara;  there  I 
sketched,  and  made  my  fifth  luncheon  off  the  potted  meat 
and  biscuits. 

"April  12. — I  am  off  to  Ventimiglia  and  Dolce  Acqua,  the 
village  of  Dr.  Antonio,  and  sleep  among  the  palms  of 
Bordighera.  I  have  had  a  sharp  feverish  attack,  and  could 
neither  sleep  nor  eat.  I  exposed  myself  too  much  to  the 
sun  in  my  anxiety  about  finishing  my  sketches.  Thank 
God,  I  am  now  convalescent.  It  was  very  funny  to  see 
Miss  Leycester  to-day  scolding  me,  '  What  is  the  use  of  our 
having  wise  Deans  if  they  do  such  foolish  things  V  She 
came  here  last  night,  had  a  most  stormy  passage,  saw  the 
Exhibition  in  Paris,  and  was  the  only  English  person  there. 

"Paris,  Good  Friday,  April  19. — I  have  been  to  Notre 
Dame,  to  hear  the  Pere  Felix.     I  got  there  at  five  to  get  a 


1 86  7]  Bishop  Hamilton.  399 

good  place,  but  the  service  did  not  begin  till  7.30.  He 
preached  nobly  to  a  vast  congregation." 

At  Canterbury  he  returned  at  once  to  his  usual  occupa- 
tions :  his  afternoon  services  in  the  cathedral ;  the  improve- 
ment of  the  volumes  of  the  Greek  Testament  in  new  editions; 
and  contributions  to  the  "  Sunday  Magazine/'  in  a  scries  of 
articles  on  "  How  to  Study  the  New  Testament." 

His  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Commis- 
sion drew  him  to  London  nearly  every  Thursday.  One  day 
he  brought  home  from  a  committee  of  that  body  a/eit  d'esprit, 
which  he  wrote  apparently  while  waiting  for  some  episcopal 
members  to  make  up  a  quorum.  A  few  lines  from  it  may  be 
acceptable  to  the  reader  : — 

"  I'm  glad  I'm  not  a  Bishop, 
To  have  to  walk  in  gaiters, 
And  get  my  conduct  puU'd  about 
By  democrat  dictators. 

"  While  I  by  my  Cathedral 
Sit  writing  at  my  ease. 
And  fanning  my  grey  temples 
With  the  wanton  summer  breeze  ; — 

"  From  Longley  down  to  Sodor, 
From  Exeter  to  Lincoln, 
They've  knots  to  cut,  or  to  untie 
Would  make  me  mad  to  think  on." 

In  July  he  was  honoured  with  a  command  for  the  third 
time  to  preach  before  the  Queen  at  Windsor.  His  text  was 
1  Kings  xix.  12,  '^  After  the  fire  a  still  small  voice." 

At  the  Choral  Meeting  this  summer  at  Canterbury  Bishop 
Hamilton  of  Salisbury,  was  the  preacher,  and  was  our  guest 
at  the  Deanery.  This  led  to  a  most  pleasant  visit  to  the 
palace  at  Salisbury  in  the  autumn.  The  following  letters 
mention  this  visit  and  his  summer  rambles  ;  and  in  a  letter 
to  me  he  describes  his  Cornish  trip,  which  furnished  him 
with  materials  for  some  sketches  and  an  article  in  "  Good 
Words,"  called  "  A  Week  on  the  North  Coast  of  Cornwall." 

To  THE  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  Deanery,  July  13. 

"We   have   had   your    uncle's   bishop    (Hamilton)    here 


400  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

preacliing,  the  most  kind  and  agreeable  of  men^  and  he 
preached  a  really  good  sermon.  Mrs.  Alford  and  I  are  going 
to  stay  with  him  at  the  end  of  September. 

"What  an  extraordinary  political  phenomenon  we  have 
witnessed  in  the  last  few  weeks  ! — a  Tory  Government  taking 
office  because  their  Liberal  opponents  proposed  a  Eeform 
Bill  which  went  too  far  for  them,  at  last  carrying  through 
one  themselves  ten  times  as  democratic  as  the  wildest  dream 
of  the  demagogue  whom  their  opponents  were  supposed  to 
be  following.  I  doubt  whether  anything  in  our  times  has 
been  so  damaging  to  the  theory  of  party  Government  as 
this.  What  will  1967  see  ?  What  sort  of  a  future  does 
Mr.  Disraeli  contemplate  for  us  !  If  the  next  century  is  to 
witness  twenty  Governments,  each  outbidding  the  other  for 
popular  favour,  who  will  govern  us  after  the  end  of  it  ? 

"  I  have  had  two  days'  tour  in  France  with  a  Marlborough 
sixth-form  nephew  ^,  and  it  was  very  pleasant.  We  went  to 
Eicquiers,  a  very  fine  old  church,  six  miles  from  Abbeville ;  we 
were  only  one  night  out,  returning  in  the  middle  of  the  next 

night. is  much  impi-oved,  being  more  like  other 

people,  without  ceasing  to  be  like  himself.'^ 

In  August  we  spent  a  fortnight  in  the  West  of  England. 
Mr.  Bullock  had  taken  charge  of  the  parish  of  Pitminster  for 
a  summer  holiday,  and  lived  with  his  family  in  the  vicarage. 
We  resided  with  them  for  a  part  of  the  time. 

To  THE  Kev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"Pitminster  Vicarage,  Taunton,  Aug.  21. 

"  Bullock  and  Alice  are  here  taking  duty  for  August,  and 
we  have  come  to  share  in  his  labours  and  their  housekeeping 
till  September  8 ;  then  I  leave  my  wife  with  her  sister  and 
go  for  a  ramble  with  my  sketch-book  into  some  unexplored 
part  of  Devonshire  or  Cornwall,  joining  her  in  time  for  our 
Salisbury  visit,  and  then  eastward  to  Vines  Gate  for  October, 
and  so  home  into  winter-quarters.     The  country  here  is  very 


3  Mr.  Eobcrt  Alford,  son  of  the  llov.  Walter  Alford,  of  Drayton. 


1867]  Cornwa  II.  40 1 

beautiful^  rich^  and  somewliat  over-timbered ;  ehns^  300  feet, 
rather  choke  up  the  valley,  and  really  injure  the  view. 

"  Alice^s  eldest  child  is  developed  into  a  rosy  blue-eyed 
little  chatterbox  as  amusing  as  a  kitten;  the  younger  a  shrewd 
sensible  little  soul,  just  passing  the  boundary  of  infancy  into 
childhood,  and  talking  a  i^atois  somewhat  puzzling  to  com- 
prehend. I  am  working  in  the  mornings  at  the  'Contemporary 
Review,'  and  proofs  of  the  Testament,  and  spending  the 
afternoons  in  croquet,  or  walks  forwards  and  backwards  over 
the  four  miles  which  divide  us  from  our  local  metropolis." 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Columh  Port,  Sept.  10. 

"I  started  on  a  glorious  morning  for  this  place;  all  day 
sketching,  but  the  tide  is  rather  awkward,  the  scenery  here 
is  all  low  water.  I  took  three  sketches,  and  a  long  walk  on 
the  sands  besides.  The  finest  part  of  the  coast  is  not  here 
but  at  Bedruthan,  a  sort  of  Kynance  Cove  of  this  part  of 
Cornwall.  There  is  one  rock  exactly  like  Queen  Elizabeth, 
crown,  features,  ruff,  hoop,  and  all.  The  day  has  been  the 
very  best  for  sketching  that  could  be  imagined;  blue  clear 
sky,  with  clouds  in  the  horizon.  One  sketch  was  taken 
under  difficulties ;  an  immense  flock  of  pigs  kept  suiTOund- 
ing  me,  and  as  I  was  washing  in  my  sky  in  haste,  for  fear  of 
edges  drying,  some  ladies  came  up  with,  '  May  we  see  your 
sketch?'" 

To  THE  Rev.  W.  H.  Gueney. 

"  Weston-super-Mare,  Sept.  24,  1867. 

"  I  was  truly  sorry  to  see  your  sister's  death ;  how  sad  it 
must  have  made  you  all;  and  the  poor  husband  so  helpless. 
May  you  and  may  he  find  all  the  comfort  which  we  declare 
is  to  be  found  in  our  holy  faith  at  times  when  we  only  look 
at  sorrow.  I  have  ever  found  that  more  comfort  comes  than 
I  could  possibly  have  looked  for,  and  in  more  merciful  ways 
than  I  previously  could  imagine. 

"  We  have  been  about  these  parts  now  for  nearly  two 
months.     We  joined  the  Bullocks  in  a  vicarage  where  they 

D    d 


402  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  X. 

took  duty  near  Tauuton,  and  now  we  are  lingering  about  and 
visiting  our  fi-iends  one  and  another  till  next  Saturday^  wlien 
I  am  due  to  visit  Salisbury,  and  to  preach  in  the  cathedral 
there.  We  shall  be  at  the  Palace  for  a  few  days,  and  then 
we  go  to  Vines  Gate.'^ 

Journal. 

"  The  Palace  at  Salisbury  is  a  great  rambling  house  like 
two  of  my  deaneries. 

"Michaelmas  Bay. — Preached  in  the  morning,  extemporary, 
at  St.  Edmund^s  for  the  organ ;  in  the  afternoon  I  preached 
in  the  nave  of  the  Cathedral  from  '  A  little  lower  than  the 
angels.'  The  Bishop  of  Arkansas  and  Mrs.  Lay  are  here, 
having  come  to  England  to  attend  the  Pan-Anglican  Meet- 
ing ;  they  have  promised  to  come  to  Canterbury  in  November. 

"  Oct.  1. — Sketched  from  the  garden  ;  lovely  day.  Drove 
to  Bemerton  and  Wilton.  Only  such  a  sky  could  justify  the 
Italian  Church  and  Campanile  at  Wilton.  Home  by  Old 
Sarum,  meeting  the  Bishop,  and  walked  home  with  him. 

"  Oct.  2.  — Finished  my  sketch.  A  dull  drizzling  day,  but 
went  with  Mrs.  Hamilton  to  Stonehenge.'' 

On  November  1st  he  was  present  and  was  placed  in  the 
chair  at  a  complimentary  dinner  which  was  given  in  London 
to  Dr.  Norman  Macleod*,  previous  to  his  departure  for  India, 
whither  he  was  sent  by  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland 
to  visit  and  report  on  the  state  and  prospects  of  Missions  to 
the  heathen.  Among  the  speakers,  in  addition  to  the  chair- 
man and  the  guest  of  the  evening,  were  the  Eev.  E.  H. 
Plumptre,  Mr.  George  Macdonald,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mullins, 
Mr.  De  Liefde,  and  the  Rev.  A.  Saphir. 

The  "  Contemporary  Review  "  was  at  this  time  a  cause  of 
some  anxiety  to  its  editor ;  and  the  following  letter  relates 
chiefly  to  it : — 

To  THE  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaughan. 

"Deanery,  Nov.  15. 
•^'  A  real  effort  will  be  wanted  to  carry  on  the  '  Contem- 


\Vho  died  iu  the  summer  of  1872. 


1867]  Desire  for  Christiaji  Union.  403 

porary  Review  -^  effort  to  catch  the  popular  interest  worthily. 
My  own  earnest  wish  is  to  carry  it  on  with  a  view  to  a 
nucleus  being  formed  of  a  better  yearning  for  Christian 
union  than  now  shows  itself  among  us.  A  rallying  ground 
for  a  party  (if  party  it  must  be  called)  which  should  recognize 
with  heart  and  hand,  not  after  the  unctuous  platform  fashion, 
but  honestly  and  consistently  good  and  loyal  men,  to  what- 
ever denomination  belonging,  recognizing  them  (not  with 
any  idea  of  proselytizing  from  them)  as  religiones  licitce 
within  the  limits  of  our  common  Christianity,  sticking  to 
one^s  own,  and  prepared  to  defend  it,  but  preparing  also  to 
maintain  the  thesis,  that  our  Reformers  did  not,  and  we  will 
not,  regard  our  own  form  of  Church  as  de  rigueur  or  force 
it  upon  others.  This  is  the  only  consistent  following  out  it 
seems  to  me  of  our  principles,  and  the  only  way  of  being 
loyal  to  that  state  of  life  (using  familiar  words  in  a  wide 
public  sense)  to  which  it  hath  pleased  God  to  call  us.  I  am 
preparing  a  lecture  for  the  young  men  at  Glasgow,  to  be 
given  on  December  4th  on  'The  Christian  Conscience*,' 
founded  on  the  Trichotomy,  but  going  into  its  functions  as 
regards  present  matters,  in  which  I  hope  to  utter  some 
sentiments  of  this  kind.  Somebody  ought  to  be  up,  and 
speak;  good  and  true  and  loving  men  are  too  reticent  it 
seems  to  me,  but  perhaps  we  think  differently  on  this.'' 

To  an  old  friend  who  consulted  him  as  to  the  interpreta- 
tion of  Colossians  ii.  2,  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Deanery,  Canterbury,  Nov.  26. 

"  Dear  Miss  Leycester. — The  rov  Xpcarov  can  hardly  be 
anything  but  'personal.'  Your  idea  is  an  ingenious  one; 
but  can  hardly  stand  when  one  puts  beside  it  the  fact  that 
St.  Paul  uses  the  same  tov  Xpiarov  a  few  verses  down, 
chap.  ii.  11,  of  the  circumcision  of  Chi-ist,  which,  of  course, 
can  only  mean  the  strictest  personal  reference,  seeing  that 
on  this  personal  reference  the  very  sense  depends.     Nor  do 


5  Afterwards  printed  in  "  Good  Words,"  and  in  "  Esaaya  and  Addresaes,' 
p.  45. 

D    d    2 


404  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  X. 

I  see  that  your  sense  would  make  much  difference.  The 
mystical  Christ  is  only  so  by  being  summed  up  in  His  Person : 
the  personal  Christ  can  only  be  said  to  be  completed  by 
being-  expanded  out  into  His  mystical  Body.  We  seem  to 
come  to  much  the  same  either  way.  And  either  way^  what  a 
universe  of  glory  and  grace  the  words  open  before  us  !  How 
true  it  is^  dear  Miss  L.,  that  the  longer  life  becomes^  and  the 
more  it  groups  around  the  sayings  of  the  Word^  the  more  its 
whole  voice  becomes,  '  Thanks  be  to  God !' 

"  How  I  envy  you  old  Kome  again  !  Could  you  not  give 
us  a  day  in  your  way  out  ?     Mrs.  A.^s  best  love. 

"  Ever  yours, 

''  H.  A.^' 

On  December  2,  his  new  Hymn  Book, '  The  Year  of  Praise,' 
was  used  for  the  first  time  in  Canterbury  Cathedral,  and  he 
refers  to  it  in  a  letter  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Cruso  : — 

"  To-day  was  the  first  Sunday  of  the  new  Hymn  Book  in 
the  Old  Cathedral,  and  it  sounded  very  nice.  I  preached  on 
the  subject  in  the  afternoon  from  Ps.  Ixvii.  3 — 5",  but  not 
to  an  overflowing  congregation;  for  the  spouts  were  over- 
flowing instead,  and  a  storm  was  raging,  and  blowing  the 
windows. 

"  The  new  Library  makes  progress." 

In  the  same  week  he  went  to  Glasgow,  to  deliver  the 
lecture  which  has  already  been  mentioned  (p.  403).  Per- 
haps it  is  not  sayiug  too  much  to  describe  this  lecture  as 
one  of  the  most  thoughtful  and  characteristic  of  his  writino-s, 
and  most  important  in  its  bearing  on  practical  life.  His 
theme  is  the  Christian  Conscience— its  origin,  its  description, 
its  operation,  its  present  extent  of  influence  on  public  and 
private  opinion  and  action.  No  one  without  the  training 
of  his  peculiar  studies  could  have  written  the  former  part  of 
it :  and  few  men  would  have  arraigned  so  boldly  the  viola- 
tions (as  he  regards  them)  of  Christian  conscience  exhibited 


«  This  sermon  was  printed  with  tlie  title  of  "  Cathedral  Hymnody,"  and 
copies  were  also  distributed  by  the  author  to  the  members  of  the  Cathedi-al 
Choir. 


1867]  Glasgow.  405 

in  the  practice  of  our  commercial  men  and  of  our  legislators, 
in  the  attitude  of  a  large  section  of  the  Church  of  England 
towards  other  communities,  and  in  the  inexact  handling  of 
the  Word  of  God  by  "all  the  Churches  of  the  realm."- 
The  long-cherished  opinions  which  he  here  expressed  con- 
cerning our  "depreciation  of  the  Nonconformists,"  and  the 
defects  of  our  Authorized  Version  of  the  Bible  were  avowedly- 
carried  out,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  course  of  the  following  year. 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Glasgow,  Dec.  5. 

"The  long  journey  passed  prosperously,  though  so  cold. 
I  am  in  a  most  beautiful  and  luxurious  house.     My  host  is 

the  Mr.    C who  twenty-three  years  ago  was  to  have 

been  my  pupil,  but  his  father  changed  his  plan,  and  to  com- 
pensate me  gave  me  £10  towards  our  Wymeswold  west 
window ;  only  think  ! 

"  I  have  been  to  see  the  new  University  building  in  the  Park 
this  morning,  close  to  Dr.  Caird's  church,  where  we  went 
in  1859.  I  lunched  with  the  Blackburns''.  L.  came  in,  whom 
I  had  not  seen  for  thirty  years,  when  we  saw  bim  and  D.  at 
Bonn.  The  latter  is  very  ill.  You  remember  he  and  his 
daughters  went  up  Vesuvius  with  us  April  14,  1864." 

On  his  return  he  writes  to  his  younger  daughter  of  what 
he  saw  whilst  passing  through  London  : — 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Cruso. 

"  I  must  write  and  describe  one  of  the  great  sights  of 
my  life.  I  arrived  from  Glasgow  at  ten,  and  went  to  the 
Athenaeum  for  some  tea,  having  ordered  a  bed  at  the  Gros- 
venor  for  the  7.25  a.m.  train  on  Saturday.  I  had  drank  my 
tea,  and  had  been  looking  over  some  man's  travels  in  Abys- 
sinia, and  seeing  it  was  eleven  o'clock  got  up  to  go  off  to 
bed.  I  had  been  conscious  for  some  minutes  of  a  woody 
burning  smell,  and  fancied  one  of  the  fires  had  gone  out 
and  had  been  fresh  lighted ;  but  just  as  I  rose  to  go,  Mr. 


'  Hugh  Blackburn,  Esq.,  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  Glasgow  University- 
was  once  a  pupil  at  Wymeswold. 


4o6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  X. 

Bunbury  came  by^  and  said,  '  This  smell  is  increasing,  there 
must  be  a  fire  somewhere;'  we  both  went  to  the  window  and 
drew  aside  the  curtain,  and  lo  !  the  flame  was  just  bursting 
through  the  roof  of  the  Queen's  Opera  House. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  all  in  the  drawing-room  were  in  utter 
dismay ;  the  general  cry  was  '  They  must  be  just  coming  out, 
hundreds  will  be  burnt ! '  then  some  one  said  it  was  not  an 
opera  night,  and  one  breathed  freely.  I  rushed  down  to  get 
my  hat  and  coat,  and  all  went  to  the  balcony ;  the  sight  was 
grand ;  as  the  flames  increased  at  last  (that  last  was  not  more 
than  ten  minutes),  they  shot  up  full  three  times  the  height 
of  the  roof,  400  feet  high,  and  as  the  keen  north-east  wind 
rose  and  fell  they"  swooped  over  Pall  Mall,  sometimes  almost 
touching  the  United  Service  Club,  and  covering  its  roof 
with  burning  pieces  of  wood  and  paper :  it  was  at  one  time 
in  some  danger.  The  heat  in  our  balcony  was  very  great ;  I 
got  both  blackened  and  scorched.  All  the  houses  round 
the  Arcade  and  Waterloo  Place  had  caught  more  or  less. 
■The  engines  had  by  this  time  arrived,  whistling  furiously  as 
they  tore  up  the  street  in  full  gallop ;  they  instantly  began 
working  on  the  blazing  roofs,  smoking  and  snorting  as  loud 
as  a  train,  and  the  effects  were  soon  visible.  The  enormous 
mass  of  water  from  the  steam  fire-eugines  soon  got  the 
mastery,  and  every  roof  one  after  another  sputtered,  and 
smouldered  and  steamed;  among  them  Rivington's,  to  my 
great  delight,  though  still  my  Greek  Testament  may  be 
spoilt  by  water.  By  this  time  the  Queen's  Opera  House 
was  a  mere  shell,  and  the  flame  had  sunk  down  within.  The 
two  gables  stood  grinning  at  each  other,  capped  by  its  high 
water  tanks  in  solemn  irony  ;  the  gas-lamps  ceased  to  look 
green  sparks,  and  returned  to  their  wonted  splendour  ;  the 
moon  and  stars  resumed  their  government  of  the  night ;  the 
Queen's  Opera  House  took  itself  off  into  the  realms  of  his- 
tory, ?nd  myself  to  bed  at  the  Grosvenor." 

In  his  journal  he  writes,  "  Took  notes  of  this  fire  for  future 
use."  Use  was  made  of  them  a  few  months  afterwards.  A 
niece.  Miss  E.  M.  Alford,  was  engaged  in  the  composition 
of  a   work    of  fiction,    and  consulted  her  uncle  as  to  the 


1867]  Netherto7i  on  Sea.  407 

an-angement  of  the  plot.  Beginning  as  adviser  he  became 
a  joint  author,  and  when  "  Netherton  on  Sea ''  was  pub- 
lished in  1869,  many  incidents  in  his  own  life,  many  early 
recollections  and  scenes  with  which  he  was  familiar  were 
described  in  this  novel.  Thus  the  account  of  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  factory  ("Netherton  on  Sea,"  2nd  edition,  1870, 
page  69)  is  founded  on  what  he  observed  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Opera  House.  His  recollections  of  Ilminster 
Grammar  School  supplied  the  description  of  that  of  Nether- 
ton (pp.  34 — 36).  The  Church  of  Ars  and  its  Cure  (pp. 
201 — 204)  are  sketched  from  his  own  observations  in  1868, 
so  is  the  scenery  of  the  Riviera  (ch.  xxvi.  and  xxvii.).  The 
local  descriptions  of  Eome  (ch.  xxix.),  and  many  of  the 
remarks  in  that  chapter  were  familiar  to  those  who  shared  his 
visit  to  Rome. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


1868-1870. 

Archbishop  Longley's    Ordination   at   Canterbury — Visits 
Cornwall  and  the  Isles  of  Scilly— Death  of  Archbishop 

LONGLEY  AND  ENTHRONEMENT  OF  ARCHBISHOP  TAIT — VISITS  TO 

the  Riviera — Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament — 
Lectures  at  Liverpool,  Leeds,  and  Bradford — Illustrated 
Books  in  Contemplation — Commentary  on  the  Old  Testa- 
ment— SCHExME     TO     visit     THE     HOLY     LAND— COMPANY     FOR 

Revising  the  New  Testament — Last  Tour  on  the  Conti- 
nent— Autumn  at  Vines  Gate — Visit  to  the  East  Coast  of 
Scotland. 


THE  Mission  or  course  of  addresses  wliicln  was  lield  at 
Canterbury  in  the  latter  part  of  1866  (p.  393),  had 
appeared  to  some  persons  to  be  capable  of  repetition  with 
still  better  effect  at  another  season  of  the  year.  Accordingly 
the  Dean  suggested  to  Archbishop  Longley  that  Canter- 
bury should  be  chosen  as  the  place  for  the  ordination  in 
Lentj  1868,  and  that  his  Grace  should  deliver  an  address  in 
a  course  of  Mission  Services  to  be  held  at  the  same  season. 
This  was  done ;  and  on  March  8th  Canterbury  witnessed 
for  the  first  time  in  fifty  years,  the  striking  and  instructive 
ceremonial  of  an  ordination.  The  Archbishop  resided  for  a 
week  at  the  Deanery,  and  the  candidates  for  the  ministry, 
while  under  examination,  were  hospitably  accommodated  in 
houses  in  the  Cathedral  precincts  and  at  St.  Augustine^s 
College;  a  room  for  the  examination  was  supplied  by  the 
Deanery. 

The  Archbishop   at  the   cost  of  much  personal  exertion 
contributed  to  the  good  results  of  the  Mission  by  giving  on 


1 868]  Cannes.  409 

March  3rd  "^  a  most  kind  and  fatherly  address  "  to  an  as- 
sembly of  working  men^  &c.,  at  the  Broad  Street  National 
School-room. 

Soon  after  Easter  my  husband^  accompanied  by  his  brother 
the  Eev.  B.  H.  Alford,  went  to  the  Riviera.  The  results  of 
this  tour  appeared  afterwards  in  the  illustrated  book  on  the 
Eiviera  (published  in  1870)  and  in  some  accounts  of  the 
famous  Cure  d^Ars  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review  "  (1867, 
pp.  209.  297),  and  in  "  Netherton  on  Sea." 

He  wrote  to  me  from  Cannes,  on  April  20  : — 

''  All  has  prospered ;  weather  most  beautiful ;  the  sun  arose 
as  we  were  leaving  Lyons,  lighting  up  first  Our  Lady  of  the 
Fouvieres,  then  all  the  windows  on  terrace  after  terrace,  with 
ruby  light. 

"As  we  passed  on,  old  legends  were  ever  in  my  thoughts  : 
the  Roman  Arch  of  Triumph  and  vast  Theatre  at  Orange  ; 
the  massive  palace  of  the  Popes  at  Avignon,  &c.,  &c.  On 
the  stony  plain  of  the  Cran  between  Aries  and  Marseilles, 
the  mirage  was  very  remarkable,  the  distant  trees  and  hills 
looked  as  if  a  sea  were  between  us  and  them,  and  one  could 
even  see  them  reflected  in  the  water — all  a  delusion.  All 
the  valley  of  the  Rhone  was  brilliant  in  sunshine,  and  the 
salt  lakes  and  the  sea  as  we  approached  Marseilles  most 
heavenly  in  colour.  I  think  I  told  you  of  the  palms  at 
Hyeres.  I  have  seen  nothing  like  them  before  ;  they  quite 
beat  those  of  Boi-dighera  in  size,  but  the  difference  is,  in 
Bordighera  they  are  wild  and  by  hundreds,  at  Hyeres  only 
in  gardens.  We  went  in  a  little  carriage  from  Hyeres  to  St. 
Tropez,  partly  through  plains  full  of  poach  orchards,  with 
china  roses  all  in  blossom;  and  partly  through  cork-tree 
forests.  St.  Tropez  is  situated  on  a  peninsula  which  makes 
a  land-locked  bay ;  it  is  said  to  be  the  very  best  place  for 
consumptive  patients.  Next  day,  the  18th,  we  walked  out  to 
a  grand  pine  on  the  Hyeres  road,  where  we  lunched,  and  I 
sketched  the  pine,  and  late  that  evening  I  got  to  my  old 
quarters  at  Beau  Site,  Cannes;  on  the  19th  I  took  a  long 
fatiguing  walk  to  the  Chapelle  de  St.  Antonio  and  to  St. 
Valerien." 


4IO  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XI. 

"  Oneglia,,  April  29. 

"  On  the  20th  we  went  to  Nice,  Bradley  and  T,  to  make 
calls  ;  and  I  alone  to  Villa  Franca  harbour^  which  I  sketched 
with  you  in  1863  on  our  way  to  Rome.  Here  I  wrote  a 
description  for  future  use. 

''  The  next  day  we  set  oif  for  Grasse^  and  on  to  the  famous 
Pont  a  Dieu.  At  St.  Vallier  we  left  our  carriage,  and 
with  a  guide  went  a  glorious  tiring  walk  of  five  miles 
over  a  stony  waste,  then  an  ilex  grove.  The  bridge  is 
made  of  tufa  in  a  deep  gorge  over  the  Siagne.  I  took 
a  sketch  amidst  the  ilexes  and  periwinkles  and  maiden- 
hair fei-n,  to  the  southward  face  of  the  bridge.  We  have 
been  to  some  glorious  views  near  Antibes  (I  have  three 
views  of  these  parts  in  my  Rome  and  Nice  Sketch-book). 
"We  went  from  Vence  in  a  shandrydan  to  see  the  beau- 
tiful Var  villages,  perched  on  rocks  in  the  gorge  of  the 
Var :  at  one  spot  one  sees  eight  of  them,  with  the  snowy 
mountains  at  the  head.  There  I  drew  from  the  olive  ter- 
races, in  the  midst  of  nightingales,  till  sunset.  On  the 
27th  I  was  very  poorly  and  fit  for  nothing,  but  next  day 
we  set  out  at  ten,  up  the  course  of  the  Nervia  to  Dolce 
Acqua,  and  there  sketched  and  lunched ;  and  on  to  Bordi- 
ghera.  I  was  much  better,  but  not  quite  well.  To-day  I 
have  been  colouring  my  last  yearns  sketch  of  the  palms; 
also  taking  a  sketch  of  the  scene  of  the  upset  in  Dr. 
Antonio.  My  incident  book  will  tell  you  more  particulars. 
"  The  heat  is  very  great  here." 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mes.  Bullock. 

"  Latour,  the  Capital  of  the  Vaudois  Valleys,  May  3rd. 
"  We  followed  our  plan  till  the  heat  made  it  impossible, 
so  we  broke  off  our  Riviera  part  at  Oneglia,  and  thence  we 
crossed  the  Alps  to  Turin,  and  came  here  to  look  up  our 
friends  the  Vaudois.  They  are  a  nice,  hearty,  merry  people, 
bright-eyed,  lots  of  pretty  children  and  girls ;  and  they  live 
in  valleys  with  rushing  waters,  and  vines  trimmed  over  per- 
golas, and  quaint  houses,  with  galleries  all  round ;  their  ser- 
vice, which  we  attended,  is  dreary  enough. 


i868J  Turin.  411 

"  To-morrow  we  leap  on  asses  at  6.30,  and  go  to  see  other 
valleys.  Did  I  tell  you,  from  the  promontory  of  St.  Jean,  near 
a  place  called  Petite  Afrique  in  the  Eiviera, — such  a  hot 
place, — I  saw  the  Island  of  Corsica  very  plainly  ? — white  cliffs 
bright  in  the  sun,  120  miles  off:  on  that  spot  there  are 
splendid  aloes  and  carouba  trees  (a  glorious  evergreen).'^ 

To  HIS  WirE. 

"  Turin,  May  4. 

''  On  approaching  Turin  from  Garessio,  the  hills  were 
clothed  with  chestnut  forests,  an  undergrowth  of  box, 
ruined  castles  placed  on  the  heights  above ;  five  miles  from 
Garessio  we  passed  the  Tanaro,  on  a  bridge  all  of  white 
marble  (flecked  with  grey)  ;  soon  after  the  road  rises  up  a 
small  hill  and  passes  along  the  ridge  of  a  gorge,  the  river 
and  rocks  below,  and  at  the  end  the  distant  snowy  moun- 
tains. The  Alps  here  were  perfectly  wonderful.  Monte 
Viso,  the  chief  of  them,  looking  from  his  proud  domain  like 
the  god  of  this  nether  world ;  this  became  more  and  more  so 
as  we  got  farther  on,  for  the  country  got  hidden  by  mists, 
and  the  top  of  Monte  Yiso  shot  faint  and  mysterious 
gleams  up  into  the  sky,  like  an  approaching  strange  planet. 
Mondovi  is  a  small  city  on  the  banks  of  a  torrent ;  it  has 
several  churches  picturesquely  situated.  I  took  an  outline 
from  the  train  as  we  passed.  We  have  just  taken  our  last 
excursion  to  the  Val  d'Argogna  up  a  path  taking  the  east 
side  of  a  fine  gorge,  snowy  mountains  at  its  head  ;  vegetation 
most  luxuriant ;  we  got  many  roots  of  lilies,  ferns,  and  gen- 
tians, &c. 

"  Here  we  found  such  a  budget  of  news.  The  Duke  of 
Edinburgh  shot  at.     The  Emperor  Theodore  in  trouble,  &c. 

"  You  remember  Turin  in  1837,  an  uninteresting,  straight- 
built  modern  city,  but  surrounded  with  the  glorious  chain 
of  the  Alps  on  three  sides.  We  mounted  up  on  a  height  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Po,  and  the  whole  lay  before  us  basking 
in  the  still  bright  heat  of  a  summer's  day ;  on  the  left  Monte 
Viso,  the  giant  of  the  Dauphine  mountains,  the  Mont  Cenis, 
and  farther  round  Mont  Blanc,  Monte  Eosa;  full  200  miles 


412  Life  of  Deati  Alfo7'd.  [Chap.  XI. 

of  Alps  !     What    do   you  think  we   have    seen  ?    a   great 
Eomish  procession,  the  only  one  I  have  seen  at  all. 
"We  mean  to  return  by  Ars,  Paris,  and  home." 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"Paris,  May  8. 

"  On  the  6th  we  went  from  Lyons  to  Ars.  Most  inte- 
resting :  the  old  church  just  as  it  was  in  Vianney's  time. 
A  truly  village  church,  with  the  plainest  seats  and  simple 
country  people;  pilgrims  kneeling  about.  The  vicarage, 
pulpit,  confessional,  the  chapels  of  St.  Philomen  and  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  preserved  exactly  in  the  same  state  as  in  his 
time.  A  grand  new  church  is  being  built  containing  the  old 
one.  We  were  shown  the  Presbytere  and  his  own  room  by 
M.  Tassi,  and  were  taken  to  a  Mademoiselle  Ricotti,  a  well- 
to-do  woman,  who  has  bought  up  everything  belonging  to 
him  for  his  poor  people,  even  his  teeth  at  five  francs  each. 
She  has  a  room  full  of  all  sorts  of  furniture  of  his,  his  coat, 
hat,  &c.  I  sketched  the  village  and  church,  and  we  called 
on  M.  Toccania,  his  successor,  who  showed  us  his  house  and 
gave  us  some  photographs.  To-morrow,  please  God,  you 
will  see  me.  So  ends  my  spring  tour  in  joy  and  thankful- 
ness.'" 

One  result  from  his  lecture  at  Glasgow  on  "  The  Christian 
Conscience"  now  appeared.  Early  in  this  year  he  had  written 
to  his  friend,  the  Rev.  R.  P.  Graves  : — . 

"  1  send  you  a  lecture  I  gave  at  Glasgow  on  De- 
cember 4th,  which  you  may  not  have  seen  in  '  Good 
Words.'  It  has  led  to  much  correspondence  and  two  prac- 
tical results :  first,  a  movement  of  recognition  of  Noncon- 
formists ;  secondly,  a  pressure  on  me  to  undertake  a  revision 
of  the  English  New  Testament,  which  I  have  done,  more  to 
incense  men's  minds  and  bring  on  the  movement  than  with 
any  idea  of  doing  much  service.  The  work  ought  to  be  done 
by  many,  not  one." 

His  lecture  at  Glasgow  led  to  correspondence  with  many 
Nonconformists ;  and  a  proposal  was  made  to  him  that  he 
should  take  a  prominent  part  in  a  centenary  celebration  at 


i868J  Cheshimt  College.  413 

Cheshunt  College',  Herts.  Before  consenting,  lie  made 
careful  inquiries  into  the  object  and  condition  of  the  College, 
and  then  wrote  as  follows,  on  March  30th,  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Allon  :— 

''  I  hare  carefully  read  the  papers  which  you  have  sent 
me,  and  am  more  convinced  than  ever  that  Cheshunt  College 
is  exactly  the  institution  where  ground  can  be  broken  in  our 
movement  most  appropriately,  and  with  the  strongest  case 
in  favour  of  such  an  act ;  I  shall  therefore  put  myself  at  the 
disposal  of  the  College  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  invite 
me." 

On  June  14th  he  was  staying  at  the  Deanery  at  West- 
minster, and  preached  in  the  Abbey  on  '^  Charity  the  End 
of  the  Commandment."  The  sermon  is  printed  in  "  Essays 
and  Addresses"  (p.  113). 

Ten  days  afterwards  he  writes  in  his  journal : — 

"  In  town  again.  Next  morning  (25th)  drove  to  Cheshunt 
College.  Service,  Church  of  England.  Newman  Hall  read ; 
Dr.  Binney  preached.  I  presided  and  gave  a  written  address, 
and  spoke.  Returned  at  eight  p.m.,  and  went  to  a  clerical 
meeting  at  the  Rev.  J.  Oakley's,  Hoxton." 

The  address  which  he  delivered  is  printed  in  "  Essays  and 
Addresses"  (p.  137).  The  subject  is  '^'^The  Requisites  of  an 
Education  for  the  Ministry  in  the  Present  Day." 

In  the  course  of  another  week  (on  July  1st)  an  annual 
garden  party  was  given  at  the  Deanery  in  connexion  with 
the  Canterbury  Harmonic  Union,  and  to  this  party  he  invited 
three  of  his  entertainers,  viz.  Drs.  Binney,  Stoughton,  and 
Allon,  and  showed  them  over  the  Cathedral.    In  the  following 


1  "  This  College,  it  is  said,  was  founded  by  Lady  Huntingdon  for  the  purpose 
of  training  up  lay-preachers  for  meeting-houses.  Lady  Huntingdon,  though 
a  pious  woman,  was  unquestionably  not  a  member  of  the  Church  ofEngland, 
but  what  is  strictly  and  properly  called  a  Methodist,  professing  the  doc- 
trines of  George  Whitfield,  and  educating  young  men  to  preach  those  doctrines 
without  episcopal  ordination."  ("  Bishop  Porteus's  Life,"  by  Hodgson,  p.  268.) 
In  the  last  century  the  Rev.  Dr.  Draper,  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England,  went  so  far  as  to  become  President  of  the  College  and  preacher  in 
the  chapel,  and  conseqiiently  fell  under  the  censure  of  Bishop  Porteus,  who 
himself  was  subject  in  his  generation  to  "  the  common  sweeping  imputation 
of  metbodism." 


414  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XL 

December  lie  renewed  his  intercourse  with  some  of  the  party 
in  a  visit  which  he  paid  to  the  New  College  at  St.  John's 
Wood. 

A  few  days  afterwards  a  sorrowful  event  occurred,  which 
is  mentioned  for  the  sake  of  the  letter  to  which  it  gave  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Gruso^  the  mother-in-law  of  our  second  daughter, 
died  suddenly  at  Vines  Gate,  where  she  was  staying  on  a 
visit  to  her  son,  then  Curate  of  Brasted.  My  husband  wrote 
thus  on  July  8th  to  our  daughter :  — 

"  So  it  is  over.  Well,  dear  child,  you  have  been  brought 
face  to  face  with  your  own  and  your  husband's  trouble. 
One's  own  first  sorrow  is  a  very  real  thing,  very  difierent 
from  even  one's  dearest  friend's  sorrows.  The  grief  is  closer; 
the  comfort  is  closer;  more  actually  in  the  heart,  and  less 
about  its  borders.  When  we  lost  Clement  I  felt  as  if  I  had 
never  sorrowed  before ;  as  if  the  fire  which  had  been  trying 
others  was  now  indeed  brought  near,  and  tearing  my  own 
nerves.  Even  this  and  its  greater  repetition  you,  darling, 
hardly  felt  with  ripened  feelings.  The  child  and  the  maiden 
have  the  pangs  of  grief,  but  not  its  dignity,  not  its  enduring 
impression.  Now  you  have  all.  God  bless  them  to  you, 
and  you  in  them,  both  in  smiting  and  in  healing.  Pray  say 
to  Henry  all  that  you  know  I  wish  to  say.  Words  are  poor 
things  in  the  face  of  sorrow.   .  .  ." 

On  July  30th  the  new  Chapter  Library  (see  Appendix) 
at  Canterbury  became  a  rendezvous  for  the  County  Archaeo- 
logical Society.  Professor  Willis  read  a  paper,  and  con- 
ducted a  party  round  the  precincts.  In  the  evening  there 
was  a  soiree  at  the  Deanery,  and  a  visit  to  the  Cathedral  by 
moonlight.  Next  day  St.  Augustine's  College  and  various 
places  in  the  city  were  visited  by  the  antiquaries. 

In  August  he  went  with  Mr.  Burrell  Smith  for  a  sketching 
tour  in  Cornwall. 

He  wrote  to  his  niece.  Miss  E.  M.  Alford,  Taunton,  on 
August  1st : — 

"  So  the  month  for  rambling  and  unbending  the  bow  is 
begun,  and  by  the  same  token  you  are  about  to  be  besieged 
by  two  flies,  which  will  perch  down  on  your  Mount  on  the  6th, 


1 868]  Isles  of  Scilly.  4 1 5 

reaching  their  pasturing  ground  at  Tintagel — far  from  all 
railways,  the  enchanting  abode  of  King  Arthur  and  Sir 
Galahad  and  the  rest — that  night ;  for  are  they  not  twenty 
miles  from  the  Bodmin  station  ?  Now  as  to  Scilly.  ...  It 
not  the  King  *,  but  the  priest  I  go  to  visit,  .  .  .  the  faithful 
Dan.^^ 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

'•  Sf.  Mary's  Vicarage,  Isles  of  Scilly,  Aug.  29. 
'^  Our  time  is  spent  here  in  boating  and  sketching.  The 
weather  is  superb,  sunny,  and  breezy ;  the  sea,  ultramarine 
and  emerald,  even  surpasses  the  Lizard  and  Mediterranean. 
It  is  a  tiny,  jolly  place,  145  granite  islands,  glowing  like 
gems  in  the  heaving  heart  of  the  deep.  This  place  is  quite 
a  town,  streets  and  shops,  and  a  harbour  and  a  pier.  Oppo- 
site is  Tresco,  the  Imperial  residence;  I  was  there  from 
Monday  to  Wednesday  this  week,  and  I  am  going  again 
next  week.  The  Emperor  [Mr.  A.  Smith]  is  full  of  reading 
and  anecdote,  and  the  pattern  of  hospitality." 

To  HIS  Wipe. 

"  Tresco  Ahhey,  Isles  of  Scilly,  Sept.  1. 
"  We  got  to  Tintagel  at  seven  on  Friday,  such  a  long  cold 
drive  from  the  station.  Next  day  we  went  down  to  the 
Cove  and  began  sketching.  I  found  a  lady  there  who  came 
here  owing  to  my  article  in  ^Good  Words'  (1868),  "^A 
Week  on  the  North  Coast  of  Cornwall.'  On  Sunday  I 
preached  for  Mr.  Kinsman  at  the  quaint  old  church.  On 
Monday,  after  lunch,  Mr.  Kinsman  drove  us  with  his  three 
ponies  to  Bowcastle,  where  Burrell  Smith  and  I  drew ;  and 
then  on  to  a  high  cliff,  where  we  also  drew  a  splendid  view 
from  the  latter.  We  had  very  bad  weather  for  the  Lizard 
and  Land's  Eud,  but  Burrell  Smith  and  I  drew  a  good  deal, 
and  we  met  Mr.  Hart,  the  Lizard  artist.     I  have   ordered 


2  Augustus  Smith,  Esq.,  who  died  in  1872,  was  for  forty  years  proprietor 
of  the  islands  under  lease  from  the  crown.  The  Eev.  D.  P.  Alford,  the  Dean's 
nephew  and  brother  of  hia  correspondent,  was  at  tliia  time  Vicar  of  St. 
Mary's  in  the  Isles  of  Scilly. 


41 6  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XI. 

of  him  the  sketch  we  saw  him  takings  and  also  one  of 
Kynance  Cove;  and  Burrell  Smith  took  one  for  me  of 
Tintagel  and  the  coast  below.  I  came  here  on  the  20th. 
The  islands  seemed  low  at  first  sight. 

"  I  sailed  across  in  the  Imperial  boat  to  lunch  on  the  31  st^ 
and  stayed  till  the  3rd.  This  place  is  just  like  Nice  or  Cannes 
in  the  garden  growth.  Huge  aloes,  with  their  blossom 
stalks,  palms,  forests  of  mesembryanthemum  cactuses,  and 
all  manner  of  geraniums,  great  bushes  covered  with  bloom ; 
the  weather  is  perfectly  elysian.  To-day  I  saw  from  my 
room  the  sun  rise  out  of  the  sea  behind  the  Land's  End; 
and  this  eveniug,  I  saw  the  most  glorious  sun  set  clear  into 
the  sea. 

"  We  have  been  a  large  sketching  party  to  St.  Helen's 
Island,  more  beautiful  than  I  can  possibly  describe ;  fern, 
heather,  and  rocks,  all  of  gorgeous  colours,  the  sea  perfectly 
calm  inside  the  Archipelago,  but  outside  thundering  on  the 
rocks  with  clouds  of  spray.  My  host  goes  with  his  guests 
in  his  boat  in  all  directions.  I  hope  to  draw  a  great  deal 
whilst  I  am  in  these  parts,  to  illustrate  my  article  in  '  Good 
Words'  ('Cornwall  Again,'  No.  II.  1868).  The  rocks  are 
so  bright,  and  the  sea  most  lovely  in  colour,  the  views  are 
very  curious ;  the  sea  bristling  with  dozens  of  rocky  islets, 
whichever  way  you  turn.  On  Sunday,  30th,  I  preached  at 
Tresco  for  the  Truro  Infirmary ;  the  second  lesson  for  the 
morning  gave  me  a  text.  Acts  xxviii.  9.  I  came  back  in 
Mr.  Smith's  boat,  and  in  the  evening  I  preached  for  Dan  at 
St.  Mary's  ;  and,  after  church,  we  had  a  moonlight  walk  to 
see  the  little  grave  of  their  dear  babe,  whom  I  buried  on  the 
26th.     What  a  fearful  railway  accident  there  has  been !" 

The  death  of  Archbishop  Ijongley  occurred  in  October  ^ 
Shortly  before,  he  wrote  as  follows  to  my  husband : — 

"  Though  I  have  returned  from  my  Continental  tour  much 
improved  in  general  health  and  strength,  I  have,  unfortu- 
nately, brought  back  with  me  an  asthmatic  cough,  which 


3  In  the  Dean's  second  "Fireside  Homily"    ("  Sunday  Magazine,"  Dec, 
1868)  are  some  remarks  on  Archbishop  Longley's  death. 


1 868]  Intended  Tour  to  Palestine.  417 

my  medical  adviser  says  would  render  it  very  imprudent  to 
undertake  such  an  exertion  as  the  fortnight  of  Visitation 
necessarily    entails.   ...  I   intend,    however,    to    print  my 
Charge  and  send  it  to  every  clergyman  in  the  diocese. 
"  Believe  me,  my  dear  Dean, 

'( Very  sincerely  yours, 

''  C.  T.  Cantuae/^ 

On  28th  October  his  journal  records  : — 

^' Heard  of  the  Archbishop's  death  in  the  evening.  Bell 
Harry"  tolled  from  eight  till  ten.     Whom  shall  we  have  ?" 

At  this  time  he  was  preaching  in  the  Cathedral  a  course 
of  Sermons  on  "■  The  State  of  the  Blessed  Dead,"  which 
were  afterwards  published  in  a  small  volume. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  October  that  we  had  a  visit  from 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Tristram,  which  gave  great  pleasure  to  my 
husband.  A  project  was  then  revived  of  a  journey  to  the 
Holy  Land,  on  which  he  had  set  his  mind.  Arrangements 
were  made  for  a  tour,  in  which  he  was  to  be  accompanied  by 
Dean  Howson,  Dr.  Tristram,  the  Rev.  E.  Venables,  and  the 
Rev.  E.  H.  Bickersteth,  of  Hampstead.  More  than  once  a 
time  was  appointed  for  the  departure  ;  but  unforeseen  occur- 
rences intervened,  and  the  project  was  never  fulfilled. 

I  record  here  a  visit  which  we  received  a  few  months  later 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stoughton,  the  respected  Minister  of  the 
Congregational  Chapel,  Kensington.  More  than  two  years 
afterwards  Dr.  Stoughton  writes  with  reference  to  this  visit : — 

"  Of  Dean  Alford^s  eminently  companionable  habits  I  have 
a  pleasant  remembrance,  as  I  call  to  mind  a  long  walk  which 
I  took  with  him  in  January,  1869,  when  we  passed  near  the 
churchyard  of  St.  Martinis,  where,  in  so  short  a  time,  he  was 
to  sleep  his  last  sleep.  He  spoke  freely  upon  Church  ques- 
tions, manfully  maintaining  his  own  views  ;  he  explained  and 
defended  his  opinions  on  fixed  theological  questions,  that  of 
baptismal  regeneration  in  particular ;  and  he  dwelt  much 
upon  his  ministerial  experience  and  his  London  life,  his 
ministry  at  Quebec  Chapel,  and  his  intimacy  with  Hampden 


■•  The  large  bell  in  the  cathedra],  so  called  sftcr  King  Henry  VIII. 

E   6 


4 1 8  Life  of  Dean  A  Ifoi'd.  [Chap.  X 

Gurney — for  wliom  he  had  a  great  affection,  as  I  know 
Hampden  Gurney  had  for  him.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
feeling  with  which,  ever  and  anon,  he  pointed  out  natural 
objects,  or  some  striking  feature  in  the  wide  historic  land- 
scape opened  before  us  ;  and  how  with  poetic  sensibility,  he 
called  my  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  soil  of  the  ploughed 
field  seemed  so  brown  and  bare  as  we  crossed  it,  assumed  a 
delicate  shade  of  green,  as  we  looked  back  and  saw  in  per- 
spective the  delicate  spires  of  corn  peeping  above  the  furrows 
that  glorious  winter  afternoon :  and  when  the  walk  was  over, 
and  we  had  passed  under  the  shadow  of  the  grand  Cathedral 
by  moonlight,  calling  up  speculations  upon  the  Church's 
future,  there  followed  in  the  evening  a  train  of  travelling 
reminiscences,  full  of  description  and  anecdote ;  hints  as  to 
a  tour  I  was  intending  to  take  over  the  same  ground;  and 
notices  of  school-boy  and  after-life,  all  bright,  genial,  heart 
winning.  I  make  no  apology  for  thus  alluding  to  private 
intercourse ;  for  it  illustrates  traits  of  character  which  do  not 
appear  in  an  author's  books  or  a  preacher's  sermon,  or  in 
any  of  the  generally  known  proceedings  of  a  public  man. 
As  in  his  writings  on  great  subjects,  so  in  his  conversation 
respecting  them  there  was  a  wholeness  of  heart— a  unity  of 
spirit,  resembling  '  the  cloud  which  moveth  altogether  if  it 
move  at  all." 

He  attended  the  crowded  meeting  of  the  Society  for 
Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  at  Freemasons'  Hall,  on 
December  8,  where  that  Society  rejected  by  a  majority  of 
765  against  674  a  proposal  to  grant  a  large  sum  of  money 
for  the  purposes  of  Bishop  Macrorie  in  Natal,  The  meeting 
made  a  deep  impression  on  the  Dean,  and  he  wrote  an  article 
on  it,  entitled,  "  The  Next  Step,"  in  the  ''  Contemporary 
Eeview,"  January,  1869. 

On  the  16th  December  he  wrote  the  following  characteristic 
letter  to  his  old  friend.  Archdeacon  Bickersteth,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Archdeacon's  election  to  the  chair  of  Prolo- 
cutor in  the  Convocation  of  Canterbury  : — 

"■  It  is,  indeed,  a  pleasure  to  find  that  in  the  midst  of 
widely  diverging  Church  opinions  Christians'  hearts  can  ring 


1 868]  Literary  Work,  419 

true  to  one  another,  and  to  their  great  Lord.  It  was  a 
cause  of  real  delight  to  me  that  I  was  called  on  to  propose 
you  on  Friday.  I  doubt  we  have  a  stormy  sea  of  sessions 
before  us,  but  you  in  your  august  chair  may  sing  '  Suave 
mari  magno  ^  over  us,  whose  frail  barks  are  tossed  thereon." 

A  list  of  his  literary  works  published  this  year  will  be 
found  in  its  place  in  the  Appendix.  It  might  appear  to 
some  readers  of  these  pages  that  the  seasons  of  relaxation, 
which  are  so  fully  described  in  his  numerous  and  interesting 
letters,  occupied  too  large  a  portion  of  his  time.  But  that 
impression  wiU  be  removed  when  it  is  considered  how  many 
hours  of  mental  labour  were  given  to  the  production  of  his 
various  writings — hours  of  which  the  only  record  must  be 
the  abundant  fruit  which  they  bore.  His  articles  in  the 
"  Contemporary  Review  "  and  editorial  correspondence 
occupied  much  time.  Amongst  the  articles  in  the  "  Sunday 
Magazine"  I  must  single  out  the  series  of  Fireside  Homilies, 
in  which  he  took  great  delight,  and  poured  out  his  reflec- 
tions on  passing  events,  as  well  as  agreeable  reminiscences 
of  the  past.  It  was  his  intention  to  republish  these 
Homilies  in  a  separate  volume.  A  list  of  them  will  be  found 
in  the  Appendix.  The  fifth  edition  of  his  Poems  was  pub- 
lished this  year,  including  his  most  recent  pieces.  '^A 
surprising  proof,"  as  a  friendly  reviewer  observed,  "of 
the  springiness  and  lightness  of  his  mind  after  the  im- 
fvohus  labor,  which  has  been  his  lot  for  so  many  years 
past." 

The  following  reflections  are  entered  in  his  journal  at  the 
endof  1868:— 

"  Another  year  !  the  shades  are  beginning  to  close  in,  and 
the  windows  want  cleaning,  but  won't  clean.  However, 
blessings  have  not  been  and  are  not  few.  The  past  year  I 
have  done  much  literary  work,  and  have  been  led  to  come 
forward  more  boldly  for  what  I  believe  to  be  the  best  for  the 
Church  and  her  members. 

"  Health  and  strength  are  now  more  than  ever  cause  of 
thankfulness.  After  fifty,  whatever  happens  to  the  body, 
we  have  no  right  to  complain.  God  grant  me  energy  for 
E  e  2 


420  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

work^  or,  if  not  that,  patience  to  endure;  and  this  and  every 
year  (if  there  be  any  more)  may  He,  by  work  or  by 
endurance,  i-ipen  me  for  the  great  final  state  now  dawning 
in  the  horizon." 

On  February  3rd,  1869,  the  new  Archbishop  (Dr.  Tait) 
came  to  Canterbury  for  his  enthronement,  and  remained  till 
the  8th.  The  preparations  for  the  ceremonial  occupied  much 
of  my  husband's  time  for  many  previous  days ;  and  I  find  in 
his  journal  notices  of  frequent  pains  and  weariness,  which 
indicated  a  lower  condition  of  health  and  strength  than  he 
was  then  supposed  to  possess.  He  was  rewarded,  however, 
by  the  universal  satisfaction  with  the  regularity  and  order 
with  which  all  the  complicated  arrangements  were  carried 
out. 

At  eleven  a.m.  on  the  4th  the  enthronement  took  place  at 
the  morning  service  in  the  Cathedral.  Not  the  least  effective 
part  of  the  ceremony  was  the  procession  of  more  than  200 
clergymen,  two  and  two,  in  surplices,  who,  after  forming  in 
the  Chapter  House,  preceded  the  Cathedral  body,  the  Arch- 
bishop, with  his  chaplains,  train-bearers,  and  seven  accom- 
panying bishops,  through  the  cloisters,  and  the  great  western 
door  of  the  Cathedral,  up  the  nave,  until  they  took  their 
places  on  the  steps  leading  up  to  the  altar.  Whilst  this 
striking  spectacle  was  passing  before  the  eyes  of  more  than 
2000  persons  assembled  in  the  nave  and  choir,  first  the 
choristers  striking  up  as  they  entered  the  western  door  the 
clear  ringing  chant  to  which  they  sang  the  processional  Psalms 
[cxxi.,  cxxii.],  and  then  the  organ,  filling  the  Cathedral 
with  the  sound  of  the  "  Hallelujah  Chorus,''  rivetted  the 
attention  of  every  hearer ;  next  the  Dean's  single  voice  was 
heard  intoning  the  opening  sentences  of  the  Morning 
Prayers.  In  the  course  of  the  service  the  Archbishop  is 
seated  (each  time  with  a  suitable  declaration),  first  in  the 
throne  on  the  south  side  of  the  choir  by  which  it  is  sup- 
posed his  possession  of  the  spiritualities  of  the  see  is  indi- 
cated ;  next  in  the  ancient  marble  chair,  now  placed  in  the 
south  transept,  which  marks  his  possession  of  the  tem- 
poralities ;  and  lastly  in  the  Dean's  stall  at  the  west  end  of 


1869]  Enthronement  of  x4rchbishop  Tail.         421 

the  choir,  which  exhibits  him  as  the  head  of  the  Cathedral 
body.  Afterwards  the  members  make  promise  of  canonical 
obedience  to  their  new  chief.  Archdeacon  Harrison  (as 
proxy  for  the  aged  Archdeacon  of  Canterbury)  and  the 
Bishop  of  London,  as  Provincial  Dean,  took  the  most 
prominent  part  in  the  Ecclesiastical  portion  of  the  ceremony, 
and  the  Queen's  mandate  was  presented  by  the  Vicar- 
General  and  read  by  the  Auditor.  Both  the  choir  and  nave 
were  full  of  people.  After  the  enthronement  there  was  a 
large  luncheon  party  in  the  newly-built  Library.  Two 
speeches  ^,  and  only  two,  were  made  on  the  occasion,  which, 
on  account  of  their  peculiar  felicity,  will  not  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  heard  them. 

In  the  evening  a  large  number  of  guests  came  to  the 
Deanery  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  Archbishop. 

On  the  5th  my  husband  records  a  visit  with  the  Arch- 
bishop to  the  Clergy  Orphan  School  at  St.  Thomas's  Hill, 
where  his  Grace  gave  an  address  to  the  scholars. 

The  Deanery  was  the  scene  on  the  6th  of  a  levee  where 
nearly  one  hundred  clergymen  and  laymen  waited  on  the 
Archbishop  in  the  course  of  the  morning.  After  the  after- 
noon service  in  the  Cathedral,  a  visit  was  paid  to  St.  Augus- 
tine's College  and  to  the  old  church  of  St.  Martin. 

On  Sunday,  the  7th,  the  Archbishop  was  in  the  Cathedral 
in  the  morning,  and  assisted  in  the  administration  of  the 
Holy  Communion,  and  in  the  afternoon  preached  to  an 
enormous  congregation. 

He  and  his  party  left  the  Deanery  the  next  day. 

Two  days  afterwards  the  Dean  was  in  town,  preaching  the 
Whitehall  sermon  on  Ash- Wednesday  (February  10). 

About  a  month  before  ho  wrote  thus  to  a  niece  : — 

"  I  have  drifted  into  a  plan  with  the  booksellers  of  making 
a  book  about  the  Riviera  for  a  Christmas  book  for  next  year, 
and  doing  the  drawing  and  the  description ;  in  fact,  the 
whole.  They  have  made  me  a  generous  offer,  and  the  thing 
seems  in  every  way  delightful.     After  the  enthronement  is 


*  One  by  the  new  Archbishop,  une  by  the  Dean. 


422  Life  of  Dean  Alfoi^d.  [Chap.  XI. 

my  time^  for  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  knocked  up  by  it ;  for  there 
is  scarcely  a  soul  to  help  me^  so  on  these  eyes  and  hands  the 
whole  burden  must  lie^to  say  nothing  of  the  anxiety  on  such 
occasions.  How  stand  you  about  the  possibilities  of  a  visit 
here  during  my  absence  V 

With  a  view  to  increase  his  materials  for  his  book^  he 
visited  the  Eiviera  twice  in  1869.  Leaving  home  alone  on 
the  15thj  he  wrote  thus  on  the  27th  from  Monaco : — 

To  HIS  WirE. 

"  Monaco,  Feb.  27, 

"  I  had  a  very  favourable  passage,  and  arrived  to  the 
moment  at  Paris,  and  had  time  for  dinner,  but  at  half-past 
four  on  Tuesday  morning  when  we  were  pulled  up  near  Ville- 
franche  by  Lyons,  we  were  detained  there  two  hours  and  a 
half  by  a  luggage-train  off  the  line;  seven  trains  were  all 
waiting  together.  After  spending  Sunday  the  21st  at  a 
curious  little  old  hotel  at  Antibes,  I  went  on  to  Nice,  where  I 
found  the  Bishop  of  Gibraltar,  who  is  on  his  visitation  tour. 
I  meant  to  have  gone  to  Corsica  with  him,  but  owing  to  the 
gloomy  sky  and  continued  rain  I  have  given  it  up.  Lord 
Thomas  Hay  is  here,  also  the  Dean  of  Windsor  and  Mrs. 
Wellesley,  and  Lord  Kokeby.  On  the  25th  I  strolled  out 
with  my  sketching  materials,  and  was  drawing  a  carouba® 
tree  with  a  little  bay  and  rocks  beneath,  when  down  came 
the  most  pouring,  shower ;  happily  I  had  my  tweed  with  me, 
but  I  was  several  miles  off,  and  had  to  do  as  we  did  at  Orta^ 
in  June,  1864,  thereby  preserving  the  trowsers  dry.  In  the 
evening  I  set  off  for  the  Casino,  which  is  a  new  one  a  mile 
off  towards  Mentone.  There  I  saw  hell  in  all  its  vice,  and 
listened  to  some  splendid  music. 

"  Yesterday  I  walked  to  Eza  with  a  gentleman  I  met  here, 
Mr.  Lucas.  It  is  about  nine  miles  off,  all  mountain  paths, 
and  some  very  stiff  climbing,  having  lunched  and  sketched 
at  that  quaintest  of  places,  we  made  our  way  up  into  the 
Corniche  road  not  far  from  Nice,  and  returned  by  Turbia, 
whence  you  and  the  girls  walked  down  to  Monaco    [on  our 


See  "  Eiviera,"  p  121.  ^  See  ante,  p.  373. 


1869]  The  Riviera.  423 

way  out  to  Rome] .  Our  day's  walk  could  not  have  been 
less  than  nineteen  miles ;  as  we  descended  on  Monaco  the 
sunset  on  the  Mediterranean  over  Mentone  and  Bordighera 
was  glorious.  After  tahle  d'hote,  seeing  it  was  moonlight,  I 
sallied  out  to  the  gardens  facing  the  sea,  and  there  was  the 
brightest  full  moon,  with  such  a  path  of  light  on  the  waves. 
I  sat  watching  it,  and  jotting  down  its  phenomena  for  an 
hour  or  two.  I  have  not  done  much  in  the  sketching  line, 
and  what  I  have  done  has  been  very  unsatisfactory,  as  I  am 
confined  to  nine  inches  by  five,  a  size  I  am  not  accustomed  to. 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Mentone,  Feb.  28. 

"  I  started  at  ten  this  morning  from  Monaco  in  a  burning 
sun,  and  left  my  traps  to  come  on  by  a  'bus,  and  had  my 
lunch  and  a  little  service  under  a  rock  near  Roccabruna. 
I  could  not  abide  staying  any  longer  at  Monaco,  for  although 
I  was  at  the  old  hotel  where  we  dined  in  1863,  and  not  at 
the  grand  new  one  at  the  Casino,  the  people  who  were  about 
and  at  the  tahle  d'hote  were  almost  entirely  gamblers,  and 
talked  of  nothing  else." 

"  Hotel  d'Angleterre,  Bordighera,  March  5. 

"  Here  I  am  detained  in  a  very  pleasant  place  and  civil 
people  and  comfortable  quarters,  but  grievously  against  my 
will  waiting  for  my  luggage.  Most  fortunately  I  have  some 
sketching  materials  with  me.  I  have  made  an  expedition  to 
St.  Agnese  on  a  donkey,  a  wonderful  village  on  the  top  of 
the  cliffs.  Here  I  sketched ;  Gobio  too  I  sketched.  Yes- 
terday I  spent  entirely  in  drawing  the  splendid  palms,  and 
finishing  three  sketches  on  the  spot." 

"  March  12. — Fine  day  for  a  wonder ;  cloudless  sky,  and  sea 
bluer  than  I  can  make  it  with  such  a  cold  wind  from  the  north 
numbing  ones  fingers  as  one  draws.  I  have  put  in  a  sketch 
first  of  Monaco,  then  Mentone  in  the  western  sun.  I  have 
been  sketching  a  good  deal,  but  under  difficulties,  at  Albenga ; 
it  was  terribly  windy  and  cold,  at  night  a  regular  tempest. 
I  ordered  a  fire,  but  sis  French  ladies  took  possession  of  it ; 
we  were,  however,  very  good  friends. 

"  On  the  13th  I  went  by  rail  from  Genoa  to  Rapello,  and 


424  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XI. 

walked  from  there  to  Chiavari;  it  was  very  glorious.  I  got 
two  sketches  and  some  splendid  views  of  land  and  sea,  but 
the  weather  is  most  provoking  for  a  water-colour  drawer, 
sometimes  scudding  showers,  then  snow  and  wind  cold 
enough  to  skin  one ;  I  fear  my  projected  book  will  suffer 
fearfully.  I  am  a  victim  to  the  bad  weather  which  has  now 
fairly  (or  foully)  upset  my  tour ;  what  makes  it  strange  some 
days  are  most  lovely,  blue  sky  with  light  clouds  round  the 
horizon,  just  the  day  that  raises  one's  spirits  about  the  week 
that  is  left ;  but  now  it  is  worse  than  ever,  and  my  aneroid  is 
gone  down  immensely;  strange  to  say  I  am  feeling  quite 
dull,  having  no  books  with  me,  and  not  seeing  the  fun  of 
making  sunshine  out  of  my  own  head  for  sketching.  I  slept 
at  a  most  primitive  inn  at  Chiavari,  at  five  in  the  morning 
began  the  usual  timtam  of  bells  from  the  Campanile.  I 
sketched  it,  and  the  chimes  seemed  to  be  in  all  variety  of 
clashing,  the  note  really  is  F.  On  leaving  Margarita  I 
encountered  two  Englishmen,  one  of  whom  has  a  castle 
at  Porto  Fino,  a  little  land-locked  harbour  of  the  loveliest 
deep  torquoise  water,  and  a  village  built  round  it.  The  two 
Englishmen  turned  out  to  be  the  English  Consul  at  Genoa, 
Mr.  Montague  Brown,  and  his  brother.  He  offered  me  to  go 
to  his  castle  to  lunch,  which  I  did ;  nothing  can  be  more  lovely 
than  the  view  from  the  windows  of  the  castle,  the  whole  coast 
is  seen  from  St.  Margarita  to  the  end  of  the  Gulf  of  Spezzia. 
After  lunch  my  host  and  his  brother  walked  with  me  over  the 
mountains  towards  St.  Remo,  a  stiff  walk.  On  my  way  I  sat 
down,  and  left  my  water-proof  tweed  where  we  sat;  Mr.  E. 
Brown  kindly  went  back  for  it,  but  was  obliged  to  return  to 
catch  the  train ;  '  Never  mind,'  said  the  Consul,  ^  the  people 
here  are  all  honest ;  it  will  be  sure  to  be  brought  to  the 
authorities,  and  I  will  send  it  for  you  to  England ^'  I  came 
in  for  a  procession  in  a  glen  behind  Savona.  Some  hun- 
dreds of  people,  including  a  bishop. 


*  lu  about  two  months  it  made  its  ajapearance  at  Canterbury,  and  on 
inqiairing  after  its  fortunes,  we  were  informed  a  peasant  had  found  it,  and 
liad  taken  it  to  the  priest,  by  whom  it  had  been  asked  in  church,  and  had 
thus  been  tracked  by  the  Consul. 


1869]         Revised  Version  of  New  Testament.         425 

"  At  Oneglia  I  fell  in  with  some  of  our  Cantei'bury  neigh- 
bours. When  at  St.  Eemo  I  called  on  Mr.  Isaacs,  and  found 
him  much  better.  My  Southern  sojourn  is  now  over  for  this 
time;  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  been  successful  in 
attaining  its  end  of  faithful  sketching,  as  I  have  not  in  more 
than  two  or  three  cases  been  able  to  sit  before  a  scene  till  it 
was  finished.  Fillings  up  at  home  are  eminently  unsatis- 
factory ;  they  are  contributions,  not  out  of  the  endless  stores 
of  nature,  but  out  of  one^s  own  wits  with  inadequate  gather- 
ings from  those  stores  :  still  sometimes  they  produce  more 
successful  drawings  as  drawings.  The  memory  does  the 
ofl&ce  of  the  ai'tist-eye  in  minute  details,  and  in  gathering 
the  general  effect." 

Soon  after  his  return,  his  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  H.  E.  T.  Cruso 
was  presented  to  a  Chapter  living,  the  Vicarage  of  Bramford, 
Suffolk,  in  consideration  of  his  claim  as  having  been  a 
Master  in  the  King's  School  and  a  Curate  for  three  years  in 
the  diocese. 

My  husband's  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament, 
which  it  will  be  remembered  he  undertook  on  the  suggestion 
of  friends  and  rather  against  his  own  judgment  (p.  412),  was 
completed  before  he  went  to  the  Continent :  on  April  12th 
he  received  from  the  publisher  the  first  copy,  and  he  refers 
in  his  journal  to  the  gratifying  letters  which  it  brought  him, 
two  of  which  (from  Dean  Goulburn  of  Norwich,  and  from 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Angus)  were  preserved.  In  this  month  he 
speaks  regretfully  of  the  distraction  of  his  work  : — 

'''London  has  now  so  many  calls  for  me,  I  scarcely  get 
four  days  a  week  at  home,  and  those  are  crowded  with  arrears 
never  overtaken ;  as  to  a  clear  day,  it  is  as  rare  with  me  as 
with  the  English  climate." 

On  the  1st  of  May  he  was  a  guest  at  the  Royal  Academy 
Dinner,  and  it  was  the  subject  of  the  following  letter:  — 

To  HTS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"Deanery,  May  2. 
"  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  about  the  great  dinner  : 
first   of  all  the  pictures  are   very   good, — out-and-out   the 


426  Life  of  Dean  Alfoi^d.  [Chap.  XI; 

best  exhibition  one  has  ever  seen.  The  building  inside  (it 
seems  to  me  it  has  no  outside)  is  all  that  could  be  desired ; 
grand  spacious  rooms,  and  all  the  pictures  well  hung  for 
seeing.  The  big  hall  where  we  dined  is  devoted  to  the 
principal  pictures ;  the  finest — the  President  'said  it  was  Sir 
E.  Landseer's  chef-cV ceuvre — is  a  lot  of  eagles  attacking  a 
swannery.  The  dinner  was,  of  course,  a  fine  sight ;  all  the 
grand  folks  of  all  departments,  in  and  out,  Ministers,  Prince 
of  Teck,  Duke  of  Cambridge,  many  Dukes,  and  inferior 
Lords  past  number.  After  dinner  there  was  some  amusing 
talk  at  the  tea-counter  between  the  Archbishop  and  John 
Bright.  I  left  Prince  Teck  and  Bright  going  round  the 
statues  in  the  room  together.-'^ 

He  went  to  London  by  the  early  express  on  May  10  to 
attend  a  meeting  of  Deans,  whom  the  Archbishop  had  invited 
to  Lambeth  to  consider  the  subject  of  "  Cathedral  Reform." 
He  records  : — 

"  To  town  by  early  express  to  Lambeth  to  a  meeting  of 
Deans ;  nothing  decided  on,  except  that  all  adopted  the 
Ai'chbishop's  proposition  of  thorough  reform  being  wanted. 

"May  11. — All  the  morning  seeing  pictures  with  Fanny, 
then  with  her  to  dine  at  Lambeth ;  large  party  of  forty. 
Dr.  Schaff  from  America  there,  who  wants  me  to  come  to 
America  next  spring  and  read  a  paper  at  the  Christian 
Union." 

Some  months  afterwards  he  published  in  the  "  Con- 
temporary Review"  for  September  and  November,  two 
articles  on  this  subject,  called  "  Cathedral  Reform,"  which 
exposed  him  to  much  criticism.  Without  entering  into 
details,  I  may  say  here  that  he  maintained  the  absolute 
necessity  of  a  change  in  our  Cathedrals : — "  Set  the  posi- 
tion and  wants  of  the  Church  on  one  hand,  and  the  actual 
life  and  work  of  any  Cathedral  body  on  the  other,  and  it 
must  be  plain  to  fair-judging  men  that  the  same  age 
cannot  hold  both."  He  wished  an  end  to  be  put  to  the 
present  capitular  system,  and  with  it  to  the  extra- 
diocesan  position  of  Cathedrals  : — ''  They  never  can  be 
made   available   for   the  pm-pbses  of  the  Church  till   they 


1869]  Death  of  Mrs.  A  If  or  d.  427 

become  part  of  the  ordinary  machinery  of  the  diocese, 
under  the  direct  superintendence  of  the  Bishop/'  (See 
below,  p.  431.) 

On  the  30th  May,  his  step-mother,  Mrs.  Alford,  died  at 
the  house  of  her  son,  the  Rev.  B.  H.  Alford,  at  Hoxton.  She 
survived  her  husband  seventeen  years.  The  Dean  always 
felt  towards  her,  and  treated  her,  as  a  mother.  She  was  a 
person  of  strong  feelings  in  matters  of  religion,  though  never 
wanting  in  consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others.  The 
fulness  of  her  information  on  historical  subjects,  and  her 
lively  and  endearing  conversation,  made  her  a  general 
favourite. 

In  May  his  volume  of  collected  "  Essays  and  Addresses '' 
was  unfavourably  noticed  in  the  "  Pall  Mall  Gazette.''  He 
records  the  fact  with  the  observation,  "I  must  try  more 
and  more  to  be  utterly  above  all  such  things,  and  simply  to 
live  to  do  good." 

His  literary  work  was  diversified  this  summer,  by  such 
incidents  as  his  assisting  (May  24)  "  to  adjudge  Sidney 
Cooper's  Prize  at  his  Gallery ;"  by  a  performance  of  Men- 
delssohn's '^  Elijah  "  at  Canterbury ;  by  the  annual  Choral 
Union  (May  25) ;  by  attending  (June  24)  a  meeting  of  the 
'^  Palestine  Exploration  Fund  ;"  by  a  visit  to  his  son-in-law, 
the  Rev.  H.  E.  T.  Cruso,  at  Bramford,  where  he  officiated  at 
the  christening  of  another  granddaughter,  Mabel  Louisa 
Cruso,  who  was  born  on  June  10;  by  going  to  the  "  Literary 
Fund "  dinner  (July)  ;  by  a  meeting  of  the  "  Canterbury 
Choir  Benevolent  Fund"  (August  17),  followed  by  an 
evening  concert. 

On  August  27,  having  for  his  chief  object  to  improve  and 
increase  his  materials  for  his  book  on  '^  the  Riviera,"  he  set 
out  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  H.  Alford,  for  a  visit  to  the  North 
of  Italy. 

In  the  course  of  this  tour  he  wrote  the  following  letters : — 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"  Quatre  Nations,  Genoa,  Sept.  2. 

"  After  three  days'  outing   in  the  Riviera,  I  return  here 


428  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  XI. 

almost  eaten  up  with  mosquitos,  and  my  feet  disabled  with 
dust  which  was  four  inches  deep.  I  slept  at  Loano  on 
Sunday,  and  got  up  early  next  morning  to  draw  under  the 
bridge.  After  breakfast,  I  walked  to  Finale  and  had  a 
glorious  bathe  near  the  Finale  tunnel. 

"  On  Tuesday,  I  set  off  after  a  seven  o'clock  breakfast  to 
paint  Finale  from  about  a  mile  off,  and  another  sketch  I 
took  under  the  rocks  approaching  the  Noli  tunnel. 

"  Though  we  were  half  an  hour  late  at  Paris  on  the  23rd, 
we  just  caught  the  Lyons  train,  and  went  on  through  the 
night,  changing  at  Lyons,  and  going  on  through  a  country 
getting  more  beautiful;  a  district  gradually  rising  till  we 
got  between  great  banks  of  precipitous  rocks,  two  or  three 
thousand  feet  high,  with  snowy  mountains  at  the  end. 
Grenoble  is  most  splendidly  situated  ;  several  Alpine  valleys 
meet  and  form  the  citadel ;  you  look  up  the  valley  of  the 
Isere  and  see  Mont  Blanc  at  the  head  of  it. 

"  Chambery  is  a  more  interesting  town,  older  and  more 
quaint  than  Grenoble.  When  we  were  there,  it  was  being 
all  decorated  with  flags,  for  the  visit  of  the  Empress  of  the 
French  and  the  Prince  Imperial  on  their  way  to  Corsica. 
The  character  of  the  Dauphine  valleys  seems  to  be  rich- 
ness, you  can't  see  the  mountains  for  the  trees.  Largo 
avenues  of  walnut-trees  are  common.  The  ash,  oak  and 
beech,  seem  to  vie  with  one  another  which  shall  grow 
highest  and  largest ;  at  St.  Laurent  we  turned  up  the 
gorge  to  the  convent;  it  is  exceedingly  fine,  and  very 
narrow,  and  almost  choke-full  of  large  trees,  with  enormous 
walls  of  bright  limestone  rock;  there  are  several  fine 
points  of  view.  The  Grande  Chartreuse  is  an  immense  pile  of 
seventeenth  century  building,  looking  as  one  approaches,  a 
wilderness  of  dark  slate  roofs  and  bell-turrets.  When  we 
arrived  we  were  separated,  C.  being  consigned  to  the  care 
of  some  sisters;  we  were  taken  to  see  the  whole  building 
by  one  of  the  fathers.  There  are  a  series  of  very  long 
cloisters,  one  of  them  ancient  and  gothic,  the  rest  modern ; 
then  we  rejoined  0.  outside,  and  went  up  with  a  party  and 
a  guide   to  the  chapel   and  fountain  of  St.  Bruno,  a  steep 


1869]  Grande  Chartretise.  429 

climb  of  about  1000  feet  above  the  convent;  then  we  re- 
turned to  dinner;  there  were  that  day  sixty  or  seventy 
guests.  The  dinner  was  funny;  first  some  soup^  simply 
sago  and  water,  just  coloui*ed  with  milk  like  a  "  forgotten 
pudding  ^■'  of  the  worst  kind ;  then  an  omelette,  then  a  very 
rich  muddy  carp,  and  a  petit  verre  of  the  celebrated  Grande 
Chartreuse  liqueur  as  strong  as  brandy ;  strange  that  men 
who  never  eat  nor  allow  meat  should  manufacture  this 
,  potent  spirit.  Then  a  star-light  ramble  with  B.  and  C. 
My  bedroom  is  a  small  square  white-washed  room_,  ill 
plastered,  loose  red-brick  floor,  bed,  table,  crucifix,  altar 
(which  was  also  a  cupboard),  and  a  small  saucer  to  wash  in. 
I  got  up  to  the  midnight  ofiice,  anxious  to  see  the  fathers 
come  in  with  their  lanterns;  the  howling  was  awful.  There 
is  a  fine  thirteenth  century  cloister  here,  and  a  library  which 
looked  to  me  in  too  good  order  for  much  use.  I  got  a 
sketch  in  the  morning. 

"  The  Mont  Cenis  railway  is  most  wonderful :  up  and  down 
the  most  rapid  steeps,  and  round  the  most  rapid  curves  and 
corners,  the  little  engine  pants  its  way  most  vigorously,  and 
soon  comes  to  numbers  of  tunnels  and  arches,  giving  one 
no  idea  of  danger  but  all  of  admiration  of  the  genius  that 
could  accomplish  such  a  thing." 

"  Venice,  Sept.  4. 

"  On  my  way  here  from  Milan,  I  came  by  Pavia,  from 
whence  I  went  to  see  Certosa,  another  Grande  Chartreuse  of 
a  very  different  kind.  I  took  a  little  vehicle  from  Pavia, 
and  saw  the  churches  and  battle-field  of  1525,  and  by 
another  train  on  to  Certosa,  which  is  the  next  road-side 
station.  The  great  charterhouse  there  is  the  most  gorgeous 
specimen  in  the  world  of  the  early  Renaissance  style,  the 
over-florid  gothic  covered  with  arabesque,  &c.  The  orna- 
mentation is  very  much  in  white  marble  and  terra-cotta,  and 
the  whole  interior  is  painted  in  arabesque,  with  buds  and 
flowers  by  Bourgognone,  one  of  Raphael's  contemporaries. 
It  is  the  very  marvel  of  decoration  of  all  kinds  j  a  splendid 
metal  screen,   altar  all  blazing  with  precious  stones,  every 


430  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d,  [Chap.  XI. 

side -altar  worked  in  front  in  mosaics  by  tlie  inmates  them- 
selves :  it  would  take  a  week  to  see  it  thoroughly  in  detail. 
There  was  only  a  very  homely  osteria  near  the  station,  where 
I  got  half  a  poulet  whose  flesh  had  somehow  been  extracted, 

or  it  was  sitting  in  its  bones  owing  to  the  heat 

"  We  have  been  to  Torcello,  which  I  have  seen  thoroughly 
three  times.  You  remember  its  old,  old  cathedral,  which  we 
saw  on  our  return  from  Eome  in  May,  1864,  and  the  little 
octagon  chapel  of  Sta.  Fosca.  On  the  9th  we  leave  for 
Innspruck  and  Saltzburg,  spending  Sunday  at  Konigsee,  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  lakes  ;  then  I  leave  them  and  go  straight 
home  by  the  15th,  so  as  to  get  over  the  change  to  Vines  Gate 
during  that  week,  as  the  next  week  I  must  go  to  Bristol.^' 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mes.  Bullock. 

"Botzen,  Tyrol,  Sept.  11. 

"  We  left  Venice  on  Thursday,  and  came  to  the  foot  of  the 
Lago  di  Garda,  and  then  by  steamer  to  sleep  at  Eiva,  the 
head  of  the  lake,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  situa- 
tions I  ever  saw  ;  thence  in  a  carriage,  on  a  magnificent  new 
road  through  a  mountain  gorge,  to  Trent,  where  we  stopped 
two  hours  to  dine  and  see  the  place  of  the  Council,  where 
half  the  world's  Creed  for  300  years  was  settled. 

"  I  have  enjoyed  my  three  weeks  exceedingly.  Venice 
was  perfect.  We  had  a  long  boat  excursion  on  Wednesday 
to  the  mouth  of  the  lagoons  south-east  of  the  city,  and 
returned  with  a  glassy  sea  and  moon  and  stars  reflected ;  and 
I  saw  a  big  meteor  as  big  as  a  cricket-ball,  which  burst  into 
the  sea  and  left  a  white  track  across  the  sky  for  some  minutes. 
I  sent  the  account  of  it  to  the  ^ Times.'" 

He  wrote  the  following  letter  on  his  return  : — 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Cruso. 

"  Sept.  19. 

"  You  will  be  wanting  to  know  something  about  me  and 

my  fortunes.     Well,  all  you  supposed  about  Venice  is  correct ; 

it  is  a  very  difierent  place.     The  Piazza,  the  evening  of  this 

day  fortnight,  was  a  sight.     Full  as  it  could  hold,  an  Italian 


1869]  Cathedral  Refor^n.  431 

band  and  a  touching  ring  of  piccolini^  and  we  seated  inside 
the  circle  of  the  band.  In  the  evening  we  had  a  glorious 
row  to  Malamocca,  the  mouth  of  the  Lagoon,  a  grand  break- 
water of  miles  long,  and  the  roaring  Adriatic  outside. 

''  On  Thursday  we  left  at  six  for  Desenzano,  thence  up 
the  Lago  di  Garda  to  Riva,  next  daj  down  to  Trent.  Such 
a  church  !  almost  as  bad  as  Quebec  Chapel.  Then  we  took 
train  for  Botzen,  where  we  slept ;  and  then  crossed  the 
Brenna  on  a  railway,  wonderful !  and  slept  at  Innspruck ;  next 
to  Saltzburg.  On  Monday  to  Berchtesgarten  and  Konigsee. 
Grlorious.  You  remember  them  in  1857  :  the  renewed 
acquaintance  convinces  me  Konigsee  is  the  grandest  lake  and 
Berchtesgarten  one  of  the  loveliest  spots  on  earth.  Back  to 
Saltzburg  and  home. 

"  Kiss  the  Mabelline's  soft  cheeks  for  me.^' 

Before  the  end  of  September  he  paid  a  short  visit  to  the 
West  of  England,  which  he  thus  records  : — 

"  Off  to  Bristol,  and  preached  at  the  Cathedral  there  for 
the  Church  Fund,  then  on  to  the  Palace,  Gloucester.  Much 
pleasant  talk  on  many  and  deep  subjects  with  Bishop  Ellicott. 
Much  speculation  about  the  new  bishops. •*' 

At  this  time  he  wrote  the  following  letter  : — 

To  THE  Rev.  R.  P.  Graves. 

"  Oct.  6. 

"  I  have  been  for  three  weeks  with  my  brother  and  his 
wife  to  Italy,  Venice,  and  the  Tyrol ;  and  returned  on  Sept. 
16,  the  very  day  when  the  ^  Times ''  travestie  of  my  Cathedral 
Reform  scheme  come  out.  I  am  writing  a  second  article 
supplementary,  in  which  I  make  it  clear  (not  that  it  needed 
clearing)  that  to  leave  the  present  office  of  Dean  alone  was 
the  fai'thest  possible  from  my  intention ;  the  best  solution  of 
my  view  would  be  to  make  the  Bishop  Dean  of  his  own 
Cathedral.  ^^ 

To  THE  Rev.  Dr.  Allon. 

"  Vines  Gate,  Oct.  14. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  '  Catholic   Thoughts,^  by  the  late 


432  Life  of  Deaji  Alford.  [Chap.  XL 

Mr.  Myers  of  Keswick  ?  two  privately  printed  volumes,  one 
on  tlie  Church  of  Christ  and  the  Church  of  England,  one  on 
the  Bible  and  Theology  ;  very  remarkable,  especially  as 
written  1834 — 1848,  containing  the  largest  views  now  urged 
by  any  of  us,  put  out  by  a  devout  Christian  Churchman. 
Mrs.  Myers  would  not  consent  to  publish  it,  so  some  of  us 
contributed  to  the  private  printing,  and  I  got  a  number  of 
copies  as  my  quid  pro  quo." 

On  his  birthday  he  writes  in  his  journal :  "  My  sixtieth 
year,  praise  be  to  the  Author  of  all  my  mercies,^^  and  he 
thus  replied  to  a  congratulatory  note  from  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter : — 

To  HIS  Daughter,  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  Many  thanks,  dearest  Alice,  for  your  affectionate  wishes. 
Many  returns  there  cannot  be.  Whether  they  are  to  be 
happy  ones,  very  much  depends,  I  daily  feel,  on  whether  the 
remainder  of  my  life  is  to  be  spent  in  the  Master's  direct 
and  active  work  or  not.'' 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  he  refers  to  the  state  of  his  health 
in  the  following  letter  : — 

To  Mes.  John  Cunliffb, 

"  I  am  far  from  well,  and  in  the  doctor's  hands.  Old  enemy, 
palpitations  and  irregularity  of  heart,  more  obstinate  than 
ever  before,  but  with  sixty  in  sight  one  must  not  be  sur- 
prised. I  have  long  regarded  every  day  as  a  new  mercy 
straight  from  the  spring  up  there." 

In  this  month  he  went,  after  a  visit  to  Maidstone,  to 
deliver  lectures  in  Liverpool,  Leeds,  and  Bradford,  where  he 
met  with  hospitable  friends,  as  the  following  letter  will 
show  : — 

To  his  Wife. 

"  All  has  prospered.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stuart  at  Maidstone 
are  nice  hearty  people.  I  preached  in  the  morning,  then  a 
walk  in  Lord  Romney's  park  to  think  over  my  evening  ser- 
mon to  the  young  men,  a  vast  congregation.     At  Livei-pool. 


1869]  "  Children  of  the  Lord's  Prayer!'  433 

I  was  received  at  Fulward  Park^  about  three  miles  from 
Liverpool :  nice  religious  people,  with  three  jolly  little  boys. 
My  host  took  me  to  see  the  Lions  of  Liverpool,  the  New 
Exchange,  and  Free  Library.  Our  old  servant,  A.  K.  turned 
up,  and  inquired  for  you  and  the  young  ladies.  The  next 
day  I  went  to  Leeds,  through  Manchester.  Flags  half-mast 
everywhere  for  Lord  Derby ^s  death.  Mr.  B.  took  me  out  to 
Burley.  I  lectured  in  the  vast  new  Town  Hall.  Next  day 
off  to  Saltaire,  where  I  was  shown  everything  most  interest- 
ing. To-morrow  I  go  to  Chipping  Norton,  and  home  next 
day.- 

The  following  entry  in  his  journal  is  the  first  reference  to 
a  new  work  undertaken  at  this  time  : — 

"'  Oct.  11. — Mr.  Pickersgill  has  proposed  to  me  to  write 
something  for  some  beautiful  designs  of  his,  to  bind  the 
whole  together  by  descriptive  letter-press.  I  shall  make 
it  a  poetic  whole  of  different  metres  called  '  Children  of  the 
Lord^s  Prayer.^" 

This  book,  published  at  Christmas,  was  his  last  attempt  at 
poetry  of  any  considerable  length.  The  first  part  of  it,  as 
far  as  the  Fourth  Chorus,  had  been  written  thirty-two  years 
previously  (see  page  110),  and  he  now  finished  it.  In  a 
letter  to  a  niece  he  thus  refers  to  it : — 

To  Miss  H.  E.  Alford. 
"  You  will  find  at  home  some  signs  of  my  autumn  employ- 
ment. It  was  very  pleasant  to  find  myself  building  up  verses 
again  after  more  than  thirty  years^  disuse,  at  least  as  far  as 
a  long  poem  is  concerned.  In  the  late  gale  we  lost  a  vene- 
rable member  of  the  Cathedral  body, — the  old  mulberry-tree 
in  the  Deanery  garden,  which  you  saw  Stanley  explain  to  the 
Princesses  Helena  and  Louisa,  July  2,  1864  (see  p.  377). 
The  Church  of  Rome' — is  it  not  ominous  ? — was  snapped 
off  about  seven  feet  from  the  ground,  and  lies  a  hideous 
wreck.- 


'  There  was  an  old  mulberry-tree  in  the  garden,  from  which  early  in  the 
present  century  a  branch  was  broken  off  in  a  violent  storm,  and  was  driven 
into  the  ground  at  no  great  distance  from  the  parent  stem.     Where  it  was 

P  f 


434  ^l/"^  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

A  letter  of  later  date  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Allon,  14  Feb.  1870, 
will  tell  tlie  fortune  of  this  book  : — • 

"  Let  me  thank  you  most  heartily  for  your  kindly  notice 
of  the  'Lord^s  Prayer.'  It  has  had  fondling  lavished  on  it  all 
around,  but  it  is  only  a  puling  infant  after  all.  I  believe  it 
came  out  too  late.  The  drawings  were  not  shown  me  till 
Oct,  11  (a  time  when  most  Christmas  books  are  out),  there- 
fore the  booksellers  had  made  up  their  sets,  and  we  had  no 
chance.'' 

Another  illustrated  book  ("  Our  Lord  and  His  Disciples  ;  a 
Series  of  Photographs  after  the  Crayon  Drawings  of  Leonardo 
da  Vinci ;  edited,  with  a  History  of  each  Disciple,  by  Henry 
Alford,  Dean  of  Canterbury ; ")  was  undertaken  at  the  request 
of  his  publishers.  During  its  progress  it  was  kept  a  secret 
from  me,  and  the  first  copy  was  given  to  me  as  a  surprise, 
at  Chinstmas,  1869.  This  volume,  being  published  at  a  high 
price,  has  not  attained  the  popularity  which  in  the  opinion 
of  many  persons  was  due  to  its  literary  and  artistic  merits. 
The  illustrations  at^e  photographs  of  drawings  from  Leonardo 
da  Vinci's  great  picture  of  the  Last  Supper,  painted  in  1497 
on  the  east  wall  of  the  Refectory  of  the  Dominican  monas- 
tery of  the  Madonna  delle  Grazie,  at  Milan.  It  occupies 
a  space  of  twenty-eight  French  feet,  and  the  figures  are 
colossal.  The  fresco  is  now  nearly  obliterated,  as  the  mate- 
rials used  by  the  painter  were  not  good.  In  1500,  a  flood 
much  damaged  the  building,  and  at  the  time  of  the  French 
occupation  the  Refectory  was  used  as  a  stable.  An  etching 
of  this  picture  by  Rubens  was  found  by  my  husband  in  an  old 
curiosity-shop  at  Bury  St.  Edmund's,  in  1834.  He  had  the 
missing  parts  restored,  and  the  old  dilapidated  roll  covered 
with  dust  became  one  of  his  favom-ite  pictures. 


thus  rudely  planted,  it  struck  root  and  grew  ;  and  in  our  time  it  used  to  bear 
more  abundant  fruit,  in  proportion  to  its  size,  than  the  older  tree.  I  do  not 
remember  whether  our  friend  Dean  Stanley,  or  some  one  else,  was  the 
inventor  of  the  parable ;  but  it  was  customary  to  point  to  these  two  trees 
as  representatives  of  the  Churches  of  Eome  and  England.  The  accident  to 
the  old  tree  in  1869,  happened  just  whilst  the  world  was  expecting  the 
assembly  of  the  CEcumenical  Council  at  Eome. 


1869]  '' The  Riviera.''  435 

The  publicatiou  of  his  book  on  the  Riviera  was  postponed, 
as  is  explained  in  the  following  letter  : — ■ 

To  HIS  Wipe. 

'^  I  have  had  a  letter  from  Bell,  saying  that  the  Riviera 
book  was  so  serious  a  speculation,  that  it  had  better  be  post- 
poned to  another  year.  This  of  course  has  but  one  meaning, 
it  will  be  just  as  serious  a  speculation  next  year  as  this,  and 
I  cannot  consent  to  spoil  another  year's  work.  I  have  been 
two  journeys  to  the  Riviera  expressly  for  it,  and  I  have  been 
toiling  at  it  a  good  deal ;  so  I  have  lost  nearly  a  year's  work, 
and  moreover  the  money  which  I  had  intended  for  Palestine. 
This  of  course  is  provoking,  but  I  am  surviving  it  pretty 
cheerily.  Yes,  the  Riviera  catastrophe  will  be  submitted  to, 
and  the  year's  work  sacrificed.  Never  mind,  worse  things 
might  have  happened.  Just  now  the  Fates  are  adverse  in 
many  quarters,  but  I  suppose  things  will  right  themselves 
again,  or,  if  they  don't,  worldly  success  is  a  trifle  after  all. 
There  is  another  crown  which  may  brighten  as  the  lower 
garland  fades,  so  I  give  up  Riviera  and  set  to  work  tho- 
roughly arranging  my  library." 

The  following  entries  in  his  journal  will  show  the  variety 
of  his  occupations  in  the  last  fortnight  of  the  year  1869  : — 

"Dec.  15. — To  town  by  12.43  train,  called  at  Ludgate 
Hill  ;  Strahan  had  gone  home  ill.  "  Metaphysical '"  in  the 
evening,  paper  on  Memory  as  an  intuitive  faculty;  walked 
back  to  the  Athenaeum  with  Dr.  Carpenter;  at  Bradley's  at 
night. 

"Dec.  16. — To  Ecclesiastical  Commission;  to  the  British 
Museum  to  examine  a  reading  in  Acts  iii.  25 ;  walked  back  to 
the  Athenaeum,  and  read  articles  in  ^  Temple  Bar '  on  Tenny- 
son, &c.  Mrs.  Cunlifle  came  for  me  in  a  tremendous  storm  of 
rain,  dined  and  slept  at  her  house,  great  gale  at  night. 

"Dec.  17.— Home  by  10.30  express,  found  that  our  great 
mulberry-tree  had  been  snapped  off  in  the  gale,  utterly  spoil- 


1  The  name  of  "  The  Metaphysical "  was  given  to  a  sort  of  private  society 
of  persons  known  to  one  another,  who  about  this  time  agreed  to  meet 
periodically  for  the  discussion  of  certain  subjects  in  which  they  felt  a 
common  interest. 

F    f  2 


436  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

ing  the  grass.  In  the  evening  had  all  the  King's  Scholars 
(twenty-five)  and  others.     Charades.      Successful  evening. 

''Dec.  18. — Working  at  sermon  and  lecture  amidst  nume- 
rous interruptions.  In  the  evening  a  meeting  of  the  Canter- 
bury Harmonic  Union;  all  at  sea  what  to  do^  referred  to 
public  meeting  January  4. 

''Dec.  19,  a.m. — Very  good  sermon  from  the  Archdeacon. 
I  preached  on  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins.  In  the 
evening,  reading  '  Rob  Eoy  on  the  Jordan/  which  Macgregor 
has  sent  me. 

"Dec.  20. —  No  end  of  interruptions  to  getting  on  with 
my  lecture  for  this  evening.  The  Le  Marchants  came  from 
Ramsgate  to  lunch,  very  pleasant.  Attending  to  the  old  mul- 
berry-tree, and  making  fac-similes  of  New  Testament  MSS. 
Lecture  in  the  evening  w^ell  attended.  Mr.  Burgon  sent  me 
some  photographs  of  the  old  manuscripts  K.L.  M.,  and  some 
modern  MS.^ 

"  Dec.  21 . — Church,  and  installed  Mr.  Jenkins  as  Honorary 
Canon  ;  in  the  morning  writing  an  article  on  Tennyson's  new 
poem  ;  dined  at  the  Hiltons'  at  Nackington. 

"Dec.  22. — Writing  my  article  on  Tennyson,  lots  of  inter- 
ruptions. Attending  to  the  poor  wreck  of  the  mulberry- 
tree  ;  patched  up  a  new  tree  out  of  various  large  branches, 
and  sent  branches  to  plant,  to  the  Harrisons,  Robertsons, 
and  Truemans. 

"Dec.  23. — All  the  morning  writing  my  notice  of  Roma 
Sotteranea,  and  various  volumes  of  sermons.  After  church 
walked  with  Robertson  ;  dined  at  the  Foleys. 

"  Dec.  24, — Finished  my  notices. 

"Dec.  25,  a.m. — I  preached  on  Acts  iii.  25.  'Ye  are  the 
children  of  the  prophets,'  &c.  The  Jewish  mayor,  Mr.  Hart, 
at  church.  Only  Archdeacon  Harrison  and  the  Parrys  here. 
The  Archbishop  slowly  improving.  Miss  Hole  came  to  dinner. 

"  Dec.  26. — Archdeacon  in  the  morning  ;  good  again.  Af- 
ternoon, I  on  Acts  xiv.  22,  'Much  tribulation.'  Happy 
evening  together. 

'  This  "vvaa  his  last  lecture. 


1870]        Commentary  07t  the  Old  Testament.  437 

'^  Dec.  2  7. — Morningj  arranging  library.  At  4.40,  William, 
Alice,  and  the  two  little  ones  came,  all  well.  Dinner,  and  the 
evening  chat.  News  of  the  Bishop  (Lee)  of  Manchester's  death. 

"Dec.  28. — Working  at  Mrs.  Whitney's  novels  for  an 
article.     Walk  with  Bullock.     Our  dinner  party. 

"Dec.  29.— Writing  a  review  of  '  Hitherto/  Walked  with 
Bullock  in  the  afternoon  beyond  the  turnpike  on  the  Dover 
road.  Mr.  Geary  installed  Six  Preacher  by  Harrison.  I 
had  an  engagement  to  go  over  the  old  Church  House  to  see 
pictures  for  Scharf. 

"  Dec.  30. — A  very  nice  notice  of  the  ^Lord's  Prayer'  in  the 
'  Guardian.'  Out  with  Alice  to  buy  toys,  &c.,  for  to-morrow, 
and  spent  the  evening  in  arranging  them. 

"Dee.  31. — All  day  more  or  less  preparing  for  the  Cho- 
risters' party  which  came  off  in  the  evening.  Had  the  usual 
gathering  of  little  ones  besides  Choristers.  Alice's  two, 
Foster's  three,  Longhurst's  three,  one  Parry.  I  showed  the 
Jackdaw  of  Rheims,  John  Gilpin,  Robinson  Crusoe,  in 
Matthew's  magic  lantern  ;  all  seemed  very  happy.  So  ends 
1869,  full  of  mercies  to  me  and  mine." 

In  the  beginning  of  1870  he  undertook  the  last  great 
work  of  his  life,  a  Commentary  on  the  Old  Testament. 

Soon  after  he  took  his  degree  at  Cambridge,  he  gave  some 
time  to  the  systematic  study  of  Hebrew  (see  page  84) .  But  for 
the  last  thirty-five  years  he  had  made  no  attempt  to  increase 
his  knowledge  of  that  language,  using  it  only  occasionally 
to  investigate  the  meaning  of  any  text  to  which  his  attention 
was  specially  called.  He  undertook,  therefore,  only  to  pre- 
pare for  ordinary  English  readers  the  best  explanation  of  the 
sacred  text  which  he  could  gather  from  a  perusal  of  the 
principal  modern  commentaries,  leaving  to  more  advanced 
Hebrew  scholars  the  discussion  of  many  grammatical  ques- 
tions for  which  he  did  not  think  himself  qualified.  He 
intended  to  produce  a  work  which  should  range  with  his  New 
Testament  for  English  Readers,  and  not  to  address  himself 
(as  in  his  Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testament)  to  Theolo- 
gical students  and  ministers.  The  work  was  to  be  published 
by  the  firms  Bell  and  Deighton,  of  Cambridge,  and  Strahan, 


438  Life  of  Dean  Alford,  [Chap.  XL 

and  Co.j  of  London;  and  he  entered  into  an  agreement  witli 
them  to  complete  the  commentary^  if  life  should  be  spared^ 
in  the  course  of  seven  years^  and  in  five  volumes  of  about  a 
thousand  pages  each. 

The  actual  commencement  of  his  work  appears  from  his 
journal  to  have  been  on  the  21st  Feb.^  and  he  left  off  on  Nov. 
15,  at  the  verse,  Exod.  xxv.  40,  "Look  that  thou  make  them 
after  their  pattern,  which  was  showed  thee  in  the  mount." 
The  unfinished  fragment  was  published  in  1872. 

A  letter  written  to  one  of  his  nieces  in  January,  enters  on 
bis  reasons  for  addressing  himself  to  this  task : — 

To  Miss  E.  M.  Alfokd. 

"  January. 

"  I  have  been  busy  preparing  a  new  edition  of  the  "  Queen^s 
English"  (third),  in  great  part  re- written  and  considerably 
augmented  by  subsequent  correspondence.  And  now  comes 
rash  act  number  two.  It  behoves  me  to  look  out  for  some 
worthy  employment  for  the  evening  hours  of  life,  sixty.  .  . 
Editing  Reviews,  wi-iting  in  '  Good  Words,'  &c.,  &c.,  does 
not  quite  seem  heavy  material  enough  for  luggage  for  the 
long  journey,  whenever  it  shall  be  due.  So  not  without 
advice,  attention  has  been  turned  to  the  Old  Testament ;  and 
it  has  appeared  to  the  present  writer  that  '  The  Old  Testa- 
ment for  English  Eeaders,'  might,  if  life  be  spared,  be  accom- 
plished by  him ;  and  that  worthy  service  might  be  done  by 
him  if  he  could  throw  himself  into  the  gap,  and,  if  necessary, 
victimize  himself,  in  trying  to  make  out  some  honest  account 
of  the  acknowledged  difficulties  consistently  with  holding  all 
that  Christians  hold.  So  I  am  now  in  the  throes  of  a  treaty 
with  booksellers,  and  probably  shall  soon  be  engaged  in  the 
great  work ;  and  with  a  view  to  it  shall  relinquish  the  '  Con- 
temporary Review,'  and  shall  buckle  to  in  earnest.  Happily, 
it  is  a  work  which  admits  of  instalments  ;  Pentateuch,  His- 
torical Books,  Lyrical  Books,  Prophets  major.  Prophets 
minor." 

A  few  notes  from  his  journal  refer  to  his  other  occupations 
about  this  time. 


1870]  Occ7ipaiions  111  London.  439 

"Jan.  12. — The  Canterbury  Harmonic  Union  constructed 
on  a  different  footing.  Writing  a  course  of  sermons  on  the 
Self-witness  of  Jesus. 

"  Feh.  7. — To  town  to  attend  a  Conference  at  the  Society 
of  Arts,  on  Education.  Archdeacon  Denison's  motion  to  dis- 
cuss Bishop  Temple's  consecration  lost  by  forty  to  sixty. 
The  -vvithdrawal  of  the  essay  was  announced,  and  Denison 
gave  up  his  opposition.     '  All's  well  that  ends  well.'  " 

"  Feh.  28. — Much  perplexed  about  sermons ;  five  this  week. 
Genesis  every  day  when  I  am  at  home.  The  work  is  very 
interesting  to  me. 

"  March  1 . — Dean  Howson  came  to  Canterbury  on  his  way 
out  to  the  Continent.  Our  Palestine  expedition  was  settled 
for  next  year,  D.V. 

'^  Ash- Wednesday,  March  2. — Up  to  town  to  preach  for 
Dean  Jeremie  at  Whitehall,  but  in  the  service  he  appeared, 
and  I  was  not  wanted.  He  preached  a  grand  sermon,  twenty 
times  as  good  as  mine ;  then  I  preached  for  Dr.  Barry  at 
King's  College  Chapel;  very  full  congregation. 

"March  3. — Pi-eached  at  Quebec  Chapel;  very  nice  to  be 
again  in  the  old  place.  Off  to  Bramford  with  H.  Cruso,  and 
all  next  morning  (4th)  busy  about  site  of  his  new  vicax-age  ; 
home  at  ten,  and  found  lots  of  letters. 

"  March  9. — Began  writing  my  St.  Paul's  sermon  for  the 
13th  ;  finishing  article  on  Biblical  Revision,  and  preparing 
another  [third]  edition  of  'Queen's  English."' 

On  March  10,  the  anniversary  of  his  wedding-day,  he 
wrote  to  his  son-in-law  in  London  : — 

To  THE  Rev.  W.  T.  Bullock. 

"  Thirty-five  years  I  have  been  racked  out  of  my  life  by 
London  engagements.  Last  week  I  did  not  touch  Genesis 
from  Monday  morning  till  Saturday  night.  I  am  going  to 
read  a  paper  from  the  pulpit  of  St.  Paul's,  on  Biblical  Re- 
vision, on  Sunday  evening." 

This  sermon,  on  "Biblical  Revision,  its  Duties  and  Con- 
dition," was  published  in  due  course.     Going  to  London  to 


440  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  XI. 

preach  it,  he  stayed  for  two  nights  at  the  Eev.  B.  H.  Alford's 
vicarage,  Hoxton,  where  he  raet  -with  an  accident  which 
entailed  painful  and  inconvenient  consequences.  He  thus 
describes  it  in  a  letter  to  his  niece  : — 

To  Miss  E.  M.  ALroED. 

"March  22. 

"  I  was  indeed  grievously  damaged,  and  have  but  just 
recovered  my  power  of  writing.  I  was  staying  at  Bradley^ s, 
having  preached  the  night  before  at  St.  Paul's.  I  was  get- 
ting up  to  go  to  Canterbury,  by  the  7.40  train  from  Ludgate 
Hill.  I  saw  a  cab  in  the  street,  and  threw  up  the  window  to 
hail  it;  it  was  a  sash  without  a  weight  to  hold  it,  as  they 
make  them  in  Scotland ;  it  fell  down  on  my  right  thumb,  and 
squashed  the  top  of  it  quite  flat,  the  pain  for  about  two  days 
was  certainly  greater  than  I  ever  felt  before  in  my  life.  I 
have  been  obliged,  till  a  few  days  ago  (when  the  nail  came 
oif),  to  write  with  my  left  hand,  and  to  take  twice  the  time 
dressing,  and  so  forth ;  even  now  it  is  very  stiff  and  tender, 
and  will  be  for  some  weeks,  if  not  longer." 

He  went  again  to  London  to  preach  (on  March  25)  at  the 
Consecration  of  Dr.  E.  Parry  as  Bishop  Suffragan  of  Dover. 
His  sermon  ("  The  Compacted  Body  ")  was  published  at  the 
request  of  the  Archbishop.  On  the  same  evening  he  had 
the  pleasure  of  renewing,  after  an  interval  of  thirty-seven 
years,  his  acquaintance  with  Tennyson,  whom  he  met  at  din- 
ner at  Clapham. 

The  Lower  House  of  Convocation  was  engaged  at  this  time 
in  discussing  the  question  of  Revising  the  Authorized  Version 
of  the  Bible ;  and  he  made  a  speech  which  I  have  been  told 
was  one  of  the  most  eifective  in  the  debate.  On  the  same  day 
he  wrote  to  me  : — "  All  right ;  we  got  over  our  Committee 
work  at  one  sitting,  resolving  unanimously  that  the  Revision 
should  be  undertaken,  and  reporting  for  the  appointment  of 
a  body  by  Convocation,  to  invite  the  co-operation  of  men 
eminent  for  scholarship,  to  whatever  nation  and  religious 
body  belonging ;  so  that  I  am  now  at  liberty  to  be  at  home 
(D.V.)  by  9.45  to-morrow.'' 


1 8  7  o]  Revision .  441 

I  may  here  insert  a  letter  to  myself  from  Archdeacon 
Bickersteth  : — 

"  When  the  subject  of  revising  the  Authorized  Version  was 
brought  before  Convocation,  and  a  Committee  vras  appointed 
to  undertake  the  work,  it  fell  to  my  lot  as  Prolocutor  to 
suggest  the  names  of  members  of  the  Lower  House  who 
should  discharge  the  responsible  duty.  I  need  hardly  say 
that  the  name  of  Dean  Alford  was  the  first  that  occurred  to 
me,  and  it  added  greatly  to  the  interest  which  I  felt  in  the 
matter,  that  I  now  found  myself  associated  in  such  a  work 
with  the  companion  of  my  boyhood,  and  my  earliest  friend. 
I  looked  forward  to  some  years  of  happy  intercourse  in  pro- 
moting this  holy  work,  with  all  the  advantages  of  his  Biblical 
scholarship.^' 

On  Easter  Day,  April  1 7,  John  Campbell  Colquhouu, 
Esq.,  died.  He  was  the  author  of  several  works,  and  was 
well  known  to  us  during  our  residence  in  London,  and  after- 
wards our  neighbour  in  Kent.  This  is  referred  to  in  a 
letter  to  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton  : — 

To  THE  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"Easter  Tuesday. 

"1  cannot  tell  you  how  shocked  I  was  when  Harrison 
told  me,  as  we  were  coming  out  of  church,  of  our  dear 
friend's  death.  From  your  letter  I  had  not  expected  such 
an  euding ;  I  suppose  he  had  a  relapse.  Well,  who  could 
not  die  on  such  a  day,  the  day  of  all  the  year  when  death 
hides  its  head  ashamed  ?" 

Mr.  Hamilton  himself  was  an  invalid  at  this  time  :  in 
answer  to  his  request,  conveyed  by  Miss  Hamilton,  my 
husband  promised  in  the  following  letter  to  supply  his 
place  at  St.  Michael's  church  in  the  morning  of  April  24. 

"  Of  course  I'll  come ;  '  Whoso  seeth  his  brother  have 
need,'  &c.  Tell  papa,  with  my  best  love,  I  am  good  for 
more  than  the  morning ;  if  he  wants  it,  I  could  take  the 
afternoon  as  well.  The  thumb  still  lives  a  retired  life,  being 
not  presentable ;  a  nail  seems  long  coming.  I  wish  I  could 
buy  a  temporary  one,  but  if  I  did,  I  fear  I  should  not  hit 
the  right  nail  on  the  head.     On  the  22nd  we  did  the   12th 


442  Life  of  Dean  A /ford.  [Chap.  XI. 

Mass  and   tte  Dettingen  Te  Deum ;  very  successful.     Miss 
Henderson  was  our  soprano ;  she  stayed  with  us/' 

Of  the  debate  in  Convocation,  which  he  attended  at  this 
time^  he  gave  the  following  account  in  a  letter  : — 


To  THE  Eev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"Jerusalem  Chamher,  May  6. 

''  I  have  not  had  a  moment  to  answer  your  letter  till 
now.  And  now  in  my  place  here  we  have  been  sitting  all 
yesterday  and  the  day  before,  and,  thank  God,  with  victory 
in  every  case.  The  Lectionary  is  now  safe,  and  the  Revision 
started.  Even  the  ^  Times '  gives  us  an  article  of  commenda- 
tion ;  it  has  been  hard  work,  and  I  am  feeling  somewhat 
fagged  by  it.  To-day  we  go  to  the  Education  Bill.  I  can- 
not fix  a  day  to  preach  for  you  on  account  of  the  Queen's 
wish  that  I  should  preach  again  before  her  soon." 

The  following  entries  in  his  journal  touch  on  his  occupa- 
tions and  his  projected  visit  to  the  north  coast  of  France. 

"April  29. — Yery  busy  all  day  to  finish  next  week's  Ge- 
nesis, for  to-morrow  we  go  to  Kensington  Palace  for  a  week. 

"May  1. — Took  Hamilton's  duty  morning  and  evening 
at  St.  Michael's ;  called  on  Miss  Leycester  in  the  evening. 

"  May  7. — We  breakfasted  early,  and  went  to  the  Royal 
Academy  and  spent  five  hours  and  a  half  there,  and  thoroughly 
examined  the  pictures  ;  from  thence  we  went  to  the  Houses 
of  Parliament,  and  saw  every  thing,  and  the  Chapel  in  the 
Crypt ;  dinner  at  six  at  Kensington,  and  home  to  Canterbury 
by  8.35  mail  train. 

"  May  9. — Letters,  and  Genesis ;  Longhurst's  Concert 
in  the  evening. 

"May  14. — Got  to  Genesis  xxi.,  the  w^ork  interests  me 
more  and  more;  proofs  of  wood- cuts  and  chromes  for  my 
book  ['Riviera'].  I  shall  preach  to-morrow,  the  15th, 
about  Abimelech  and  Abraham,  as  my  mind  is  full  of  this 
subject. 

"May  21. — Morning,  Genesis,  I  am  getting  on  very  well 
with  it ;  afternoon  gardened ;  evening  framing  pictures. 


1870]  Revision.  443 

"  May  25. — In  town.  Our  Revision  Committee  met  to 
arrange  plans^  and  agreed  on  action;  the  meeting  lasted 
through  the  day;  home  by  express  8.35.  I  am  off  to- 
morrow for  a  change  to  the  north  coast  of  France^,  as  I  could 
not  have  my  usual  outing  this  spring ;  for  I  am  again  down 
on  the  axle-springSj  and  I  must  be  bi'aced  up.  Cornwall 
is  too  far  to  reach^  although  a  most  tempting  invitation  has 
come  to  explore  between  Bude  and  Bedruthan^  for  I  have 
but  the  inside  of  a  week^  and  that  a  scanty  interior,  only 
five  days  to  call  really  my  own,  so  the  thoughts  turn  nearer 
home,  and  strange  to  say  their  alighting  point  is  a  foreign 
shore.  From  Canterbury  to  St.  Valery-sur-Somme  only 
from  8.20.  a.m.  to  4.30.  p.m.,  and  then  I  can  work  along 
the  coast  of  Normandy  to  Dieppe  :  so  then  let  it  be ;  but  I 
must  be  back  on  June  2,  as  then  Fanny  and  I  go  for  a  few 
days  to  Stonehouse,  to  see  the  Ai'chbishop." 

Before  setting  out  he  had  the  gratification  of  receiving 
the  following  letter  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  just 
then  recovering  from  illness. 

"  StoneJiouse,  St.  Peter's,  Thanct,  May  25,  1870. 

"  My  dear  Dean, — As  I  am  now  allowed  again  to  write 
with  my  own  hand,  I  will  not  fail  to  address  my  fourth 
letter  so  written  to  you.  I  wish  to  thank  you  with  my  own 
hand  for  all  your  kindnesses  in  the  matter  of  the  Sufii-agan ; 
for  all  the  kind  interest  you  have  taken  in  my  illness.  Mrs. 
Tait  and  I  hope  to  be  here  for  a  month.  It  will  be  a  great 
pleasure  to  us,  if  next  week,  please  God,  you  could  come 
over  with  Mrs.  Alford  and  spend  a  night  or  two  here.  We 
shall  of  course  be  quite  alone,  except  Mr.  Sandford  is  with 
us.     Ever  yours, 

"A.  C.  Cantuak.^' 

An  account  of  the  five  days  which  he  spent  in  France  is 
given  in  three  letters  to  myself.  I  find  in  a  note-book 
the  following  reflections  jotted  down  in  the  steamboat  on 
May  27:— 

"  Whilst  we  are  steaming  along  mid-channel,  one  cannot 
help  thinking  what  a  queer  world  one  has  left  behind,  and 


444  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XL 

at  the  same  time  wliat  an  earnest  world  just  now.  At  the 
base  of  society  absolutely  no  stir ;  throne  and  law  rivetted 
down  in  every  English  breast.  But  short  of  the  base,  all 
in  stir,  all  in  change.  Never  so  universal,  never  so  rapid 
as  now.  Wonderful  it  is  how  all  the  old  barriers  of  pre- 
judice seem  to  be  giving  way  together.  Imagine  our  Com- 
mittee of  Revision  last  week  voting  in  one  dissenter  after 
another  to  sit  and  work  with  us.  Imagine  the  Universities 
Test  Bill  passing  with  only  sixty-nine  voices  against  it. 
Imagine  again  the  Education  Conscience  Clause  universally 
accepted  throughout  the  kingdom,  and  Forster's  Bill,  which 
five  years  ago  would  have  awakened  a  howl  from  hundreds 
of  obstructives,  now  winning  universal  approval !  ^' 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"Sf.  Valery-sur-Somme,  May  27. 

"All  prospered;  such  a  passage,  1  hour, 25  minutes.  I  hardly 
thought  we  were  more  than  half  way,  and  I  looked  out, 
and  we  were  close  to  Calais  Pier.  I  found  I  must  leave  the 
train  at  Boulogne  and  take  a  slow  train  which  stopped  at 
Noyelles,  the  junction  for  this  place ;  the  branch-line  crosses 
the  estuary  on  an  immense  long  wooden  viaduct,  like  the 
bridge  at  Teignmouth,  and  the  place  is  very  like  some  of 
the  places  in  the  Devonshire  estuaries ;  a  Grande  Rue  parallel 
to  the  river,  then  a  steep  low  hill  behind,  covered  with 
back  streets  and  gardens  and  surrounded  by  a  wood  full  of 
nightingales.  I  suppose  this  is  a  specimen  of  Normandy; 
the  people  are  most  civil,  touch  their  hats  as  one  passes. 
The  country  fall  of  orchards  in  blossom,  and  such  green 
leaves;  the  women  are  short  and  good-looking,  but  very 
modest.  No  improvement  in  the  auricular  appendages  ^  as 
yet,  but  the  air  is  delicious,  and  I  have  enjoyed  the  day 
immensely ;  it  has  been  worth  coming,  even  to  a  deserted 
watering-place,  for  the  air  and  change." 

"Dieppe,  May  28. 

"  Hei'e  I  am  safe  and  sound,  but  not  without  adventures. 


"  Keferring  to  a  discharge  behind  the  car :  see  p.  416. 


iSyo]  North  of  France,  445 

I  left  St  Valery  at  eight  in  a  petite  voiture,  to  spend  tlie 
mid-day  and  lunch.  I  stopped  at  Treport,  and  came  on 
here  in  the  evening.  All  went  as  intended.  The  road  is 
about  the  very  dullest  I  ever  travelled  on;  on  high  land 
over  the  sea  which  is  hardly  ever  visible.  At  length  we 
descended  on  Treport^  which  is  striking,  with  an  immense 
chalk  cliff  on  each  side,  something  like  Dover.  When 
about  four  miles  and  a  half  from  here  the  horse  began  to 
show  symptoms  of  fatigue,  and  by-and-by  down  he  came, 
smashing  the  off-shaft  in  so  doing  ^  It  was  a  cm-ious 
scene ;  the  road  was  full  of  Saturday  market-folk,  in  carts 
and  gigs  returning  from  Dieppe,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we 
were  the  centre  of  a  crowd  of  vehicles  and  farmers^  wives. 
At  length  the  beast  was  got  up  and  proved  unhurt,  the 
carriage  was  attached  to  a  waggon  returning  to  Treport, 
and  the  horse  to  a  cart  to  go  back  to  the  last  village  to 
recruit.  The  young  man  who  drove  was  in  terrible  distress 
and  was  sobbing  like  a  child,  so  I  consoled  him  by  doubling 
his  pour-hoire,  and  shook  hands  with  him^  he  smiling 
through  his  tears;  2^our  moi,  I  got  hold  of  a  peasant  to 
carry  my  bags,  and  trudged  on  to  Dieppe.  This  is  an 
interesting  old  town  with  chalk  cliffs^  but  low,  and  a 
splendid  old  Gothic  church," 

"  Lisieux,  May  31. 

"This  is  a  curious  place  with  heaps  of  old  houses  and 
a  glorious  church ;  every  house  is  a  study  here.  I  have 
been  to  St.  Yalery-en-Eaux,  Fecamp,  Honfleur,  &c. ;  have 
taken  several  water-colour  sketches,  and  bought  some 
photographs.  To-morrow,  I  go  to  Paris,  not  being  afraid 
of  small-pox.  I  shall  sleep  there  one  night,  and  then 
home." 

After  his  return  we  went  (June  2nd)  on  "a  very  plea- 
sant visit  to  Stonehouse,"  where  he  saw  Mrs.  Tait^s 
Orphanage. 


•*  This  incident  is  referred  to  at  the  end  of  his  last  article  in  "  Good 
Words,"  "  The  Bullers  of  Buchan,"  written  Aug.,  1870 ;  published  in  "  Good 
Words,"  April,  1871. 


44^  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  XI. 

At  Whitsuntide  the  Deanery  was  "  brightened  "  by  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cruso  and  their  "  good-natured  and 
cheery  "  infant  daughter. 

On  "V^Hiitsun  Tuesday,  June  14th,  the  Tenth  Festival  of 
the  Parochial  Choirs  of  the  Canterbury  Diocesan  Choral 
Union  was  celebrated  by  services  in  the  Cathedral,  performed 
by  900  voices.  The  Dean  had  been  a  very  active  encourager 
of  the  Society  from  its  commencement,  and  it  was  his 
custom  "  at  each  recurring  Festival  in  a  wonderful  five 
minutes'  address  to  gather  up  and  drive  home  to  the  hearts 
of  his  hearers  the  distinctive  lessons  of  the  day.'''  This 
year  he  took  even  more  than  ordinary  interest  in  it,  and  it 
was  said  that  all  previous  difficulties  were  smoothed  over 
by  his  kindness.  After  it  was  over  he  made  arrangements 
with  the  Society  for  the  performance  at  their  next  Festival 
(Whitsun  Tuesday,  1871),  of  a  Processional  Hymn,  for 
which  he  furnished  the  words  and  music.  It  was  his 
last  composition  of  this  kind,  and  will  be  found  in  the 
Appendix. 

On  June  the  ICth  his  journal  records  a  symptom  of  the 
state  of  his  health  : — 

"  Went  to  see  a  physician  about  my  exema :  he  found 
fault  with  my  general  appearance,  and  told  me  to  take 
quinine  and  steel.'' 

The  meetings  of  the  Company  to  whom  was  committed  the 
Eevision  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  New  Testament, 
now  claimed  his  presence  in  London  at  regular  intervals. 
On  June  the  22nd,  the  Company  met  to  receive  the  Holy 
Communion  in  Wesminster  Abbey,  an  act  for  which  some 
of  those  who  met  were  severely  censured.  It  is  thus  re- 
corded in  his  journal,  and  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  a 
brother-in-law  at  Bristol. 

"  June  22. — Long  day  at  Revision,  Communion  in  West- 
minster Abbey.  All  denominations  knelt  round  the  tomb 
of  Edward  VI. ;  a  most  striking  sight,  and  one  to  be  thank- 
ful for.  Began  our  revision,  went  on  right  well.  All  dined 
at  Bishop  Ellicott's." 


iSyo]     The  Commtmion  in  Westminster  Abbey.      447 
To  W.  F.  Morgan,  Esq/ 

"  Canterbury,  June  24. 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  our  first  Eevision  meeting. 
Nothing  more  interesting  lias  been  done  since  the  Reforma- 
tion. We  received  the  Communion  round  Edward  Vlth's 
tomb,  three  bishops,  two  deans,  two  archdeacons,  several 
clergymen,  an  Independent  Professoi',  a  Wesleyan  ditto,  a 
Scotch  Presbyterian  ditto,  a  Scotch  Establishment  ditto,  a 
Baptist  ditto  and  a  Unitarian  :  such  a  body  meeting  around 
Edward  Vlth^s  tomb  was  a  sight  England  has  never  seen 
before.  I  am  determined  to  give  up  for  this  important  work 
a  long  cherished  journey  to  Palestine  with  Dr.  Tristram.  If 
I  went,  it  would  be  equivalent  to  resigning  my  place  on  the 
Revision  Committee,  which  I  should  be  sorry  to  do  merely 
for  personal  enjoyment,  as  this  revision  has  been  one  of 
the  earnest  wishes  and  prayers  of  my  life.'^ 

On  June  the  23rd,  he  solved  the  conflicting  claims  of 
the  Revision  Company  in  London  and  the  commencement 
of  the  Audit,  by  giving  the  day  to  the  former,  and  coming 
to  Canterbury  by  the  night-mail.  The  next  Sunday  (June 
26),  after  preaching  in  his  own  cathedral  on  "  Brotherly 
love,"  he  went  in  the  evening  to  preach  for  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Rochester  Cathedral; 
"nice  service  and  striking  sight  in  the  nave;  text,  Ezek. 
xlvii.  8.  Supped  with  Dr.  Griffith,  and  returned  to  Canter- 
bury by  the  night-mail. ^^  On  Wednesday,  July  6,  ho  went 
again  to  London  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Lower  House 
of  Convocation,  which  was  deprived  this  time  of  one  of  its 
most  conspicuous  members  by  the  alarming  illness  of  Arch- 
deacon Denison.  This  is  referred  to  in  the  following  letter, 
in  which  my  husband  writes  to  thank  the  Prolocutor,  Arch- 
deacon Bickersteth,  for  his  Sonnet  on  the  Communion  of 
June  the  22nd  in  the  Abbey. 

*  Whilst  this  sheet  is  passing  through  the  press,  my  brother-in-law  has 
been  taken  to  his  rest :  his  life  prolonged  through  more  than  seventy  years, 
full  of  faith  and  good  works,  came  to  an  end  oia  December  9,  1872.  No 
member  of  our  family  had  a  larger  portion  of  the  respect  and  love  of  the 
younger  generation  ;  none  had  learned  more  thoroughly  amidst  early  adver- 
sity that  entire  self-denial  and  trustfulness  in  God  which  enable  the  elder 
to  influence  the  younger  most  effectually. 


44^  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XI. 

To  Archdeacon  Bickeksteth. 

"  Jxilxj  4. 

''Many  thanks^  dear  friend^  for  the  Sonnet.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  day  muck  to  be  remembered ;  how  very  sad  about 
poor  dear  Denison,  and  how  we  shall  miss  him.  I  don^t 
know  a  man  who  can  worse  be  spared.  The  kindest  and 
most  generous  of  opponents  ;  a  man  of  unerring  refine- 
ment, of  boundless  self-sacrifice  and  of  iron  courage,  often 
gloriously  wrong,  in  victory  never  despising  those  he  had 
beaten,  even  in  defeat  never  laying  himself  open  to  contempt. 
I  have  spoken  and  written  against  him  as  much  as  any 
one,  but  there  never  passed  between  us  any  word  but  of 
brightness  and  kindness ;  certainly  we  shall  never  look 
upon  his  like  again.  I  fear  there  is  no  hope,  nay,  even 
now  he  may  have  passed  from  us.     Hodie  illi  eras  nobis. 

"I  forgot  the  object  of  my  letter — to  say,  that  owing  to 
our  King's  School  Speeches,  at  which  my  presence  is  de 
rigueur,  I  cannot  be  present  till  Wednesday.^' 

The  following  letter  to  a  niece  refers  to  nearly  the  same 
subjects. 

To  Miss  E.  M.  Alford. 

"July  5. 

"  So  you  cannot  conceive  how  one  who  denies  the  atone- 
ment in  our  sense  can  receive  the  Holy  Communion  with 
earnestness :  but  I  can.  Unitarians,  I  think,  often  beat  us 
in  their  intense  'thankful  remembrance  of  Christ's  death,' 
regarding  it  as  the  great  central  act  of  love,  though  not  in 
the  sense  that  we  do.  It  was  for  that  one  I  was  most  espe- 
cially thankful,  and  how  any  Christians  can  have  said  about 
it  what  they  have  said,  passes  me  to  comprehend.  We  have 
worked  together  all  this  past  week ;  it  is  quite  delightful  to 
see  the  harmony  and  Christian  forbearance  of  all.  The  good 
Archbishop  did  us  the  honour  to  pay  us  a  visit  on  Wednesday, 
his  first  public  appearance,  to  mark  his  sense  of  what  has 
passed;  it  made  me  thank  God  and  take  courage. 

"You  will  see  an  article  about  it  of  mine  in  the  next 
'Contemporary;'  also  some  remarks  in  my  tenth  Fireside 
Homily,  in  the  '  Sunday  Magazine'  [November,  1870]. 


1870]  On  Church  and  Dissent.  449 

"You  will  be  glad  to  hear  tbat  22,000  ol*my  small  revised 
Testament  have  been  sold  already  in  less  than  three  months. 

"  How  sad  about  poor  dear  Denison,  the  noblest  and  best 
fellow,  full  of  heart  and  courtesy  !  whom  no  foe  ever  made 
afraid,  no  victory  ever  rendered  insolent,  and  no  defeat 
ever  irritated.  We  shall  be  dreary  indeed  without  his  merry 
voice  and  red-hot  energy." 

The  first  of  his  three  days  in  Convocation  was  agreeably 
relieved  by  an  evening  "  at  the  Queen's  Concert  at  Bucking- 
ham Palace ;  very  interesting  ;  Nilsson,  Patti,  and  old  Mario, 
&c." 

After  a  few  days'  work  at  Canterbury  on  his  Commentary 
on  Genesis,  there  was  another  call  to  London  ;  and  his  entry 
on  July  15th  is  '^  Third  day  of  Revision,  Matthew  iii.  iv.  On 
Wednesday  at  the  'Metaphysical.'  Harrison  read  an  essay 
on  '  Limits  of  Human  Thought.'  War  declared  between 
France  and  Prussia.     Papers  full  of  the  war,  lots  to  read." 

On  the  1  st  of  August  appeared  the  last  article  which  he 
wrote  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review."  Its  subject  was  a 
volume  of  essays  entitled  "  Ecclesia,"  written  by  Nonconfor- 
mists. Towards  the  end  of  the  article  some  remarks  were 
made  on  the  present  aspect  of  Church  and  Dissent.  After 
describing  and  commenting  on  the  celebration  of  the  Holy 
Communion  in  Westminster  Abbey  on  June  the  22nd 
in  connexion  with  the  Revision  of  the  English  Bible,  he 
concludes  the  article  with  the  following  solemn  words  of 
advice  and  encouragement  to  those  who  share  his  views  and 
aspirations  : — 

"  That  which  has  passed  has  taught  us  a  double  lesson  : 
of  which  however  both  the  branches  tend  one  way,  and 
ultimately  unite.  The  one  is,  I'ather  to  leave  the  onward 
steps  of  our  woi^k  to  the  unfolding  of  God's  Providence, 
than  to  be  restlessly  and  anxiously  devising  them  for  our- 
selves. Like  those  who  have  had  to  deal  with  another 
well-known  '  religious  difficulty,'  we  encounter  our  greatest 
trouble  not  in  the  matter  of  deeds  but  of  words.  Let  a 
proposition  be  once  put  forth,  and  it  thereby  becomes  im- 
practicable.     Words,  like    weapons,   are    soon    whetted    to 

«  g 


450  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XT. 

keenness  when  war  is  in  tlie  air.  The  most  important  steps 
towards  our  great  end  will  be  drawn  on,  one  after  another, 
by  the  deep  working  of  Christian  public  opinion;  in  other 
words,  by  the  wisdom  of  God's  Spirit.  They  will  come  in 
the  train  of  other  and  unsuspected  designs ;  they  will  not 
be  recognized  as  of  great  import  till  they  have  passed  by. 
Many  a  deed  is  done,  many  a  word  is  spoken,  which  not  a 
soul  on  earth  contemplated  an  hour  before,  but  which,  when 
done  or  spoken,  shifts  the  level  of  human  thought,  and 
opens  a  new  era  for  mankind. 

"  And  the  second  of  our  lessons  is  that  great  fact  to  which 
our  last  sentences  have  pointed :  that  the  Spirit  of  truth  is 
opening  the  way  before  us,  both  rapidly  and  surely.  In 
every  direction  the  barriers  of  intolerance  and  exclusiveness 
are  falhng.  We  watch  the  progress  from  year  to  year,  and 
we  wonder  as  we  gaze.  It  is  not  that  men  are  becoming 
less  faithful,  less  watchful,  less  anxious  to  prevent  change. 
At  no  time  has  obstruction  been  so  obstructive  as  now. 
Never  has  exclusiveness  been  asserted  in  stronger  words, 
or  by  more  indefatigable  champions.  But  the  adverse  host, 
as  each  conflict  arises,  crumbles  away  and  is  not  found. 
Public  measures  have  already  passed  in  our  day,  are  now 
passing,  or  are  contemplated  as  sure  to  come,  which  a  few 
years  since  were  but  the  dreams  (5f  the  over- sanguine. 
Truths  are  now  cited  in  all  companies  as  axioms  of  the 
common  sense  of  mankind,  which  would  in  our  younger 
days  have  been  voices  in  the  desert.  And  the  results  are 
coming  thick  upon  us :  not  in  the  unwelcome  outbreaks  of 
revolutionary  violence,  but  in  the  irresistible  bearing  onward 
of  national  conviction :  results,  compared  to  which  all  that 
we  have  seen  and  rejoice  over,  shall  seem  to  those  that 
shall  witness  them  but  as  the  dawn  that  ushered  in  the 
day.  Never  was  there  a  time  in  the  course  of  history,  never 
in  the  lifetime  of  the  Church,  when  the  intelligent  Christian, 
when  the  faithful  and  loyal  citizen,  had  more  reason  to 
thank  God,  and  to  take  courage.'^ 

It  was  his  intention  to  visit  the  Tyrol  this  year,  and  after- 
wards   to    witness    the    Passion   Play   at   Ammergau ;    but 


1870]         War  between  France  and  Germany.  451 

tlie  outbreak  of  the  war  between  France  and  Germany  caused 
a  change  of  plan^  as  will  appear  from  the  following  entries  : — 

"Aug.  2. — Genesis  xlix.,  very  difficult.  News  of  a  great 
defeat  of  the  French  on  Sunday  at  Worth.  I  have  decided 
not  to  go  on  the  Continent  this  summer^  though  I  have 
written  to  the  parish  priest,  Herr  J.  N.  MliUerj  to  engage 
lodgings  for  me,  and  a  stall  at  the  great  performance.  My 
plan  was  to  go  to  the  Passion  Play  at  Ober  Ammergau,  and 
then  to  the  Dolomite  mountains  in  Oarinthia,  and  perhaps  to 
Trieste  and  the  coast  of  Istria,  and,  if  I  could,  back  to  Vines 
Gate  by  September  1st ;  and  I  have,  I  think,  earned  the  run, 
for  I  have  had  hard  work  since  November  last.  But  the  cruel 
necessities  of  the  war  have  quite  changed  my  plans.  I  should 
not  like  now  to  go  abroad  and  make  Fanny  anxious  about  me  ; 
and  I  hear  '  Christus,'  '  Judas,'  and  '  Petrus,'  are  called  to  the 
fi'ont,  and  the  Passion  Play  will  be  given  up  for  this  year. 

"  Aug.  3. — Finished  Genesis,  thank  God.  Packing  :  off  for 
Hoxton  on  the  6th,  then  Bramford  for  a  week,  and  then  to 
Vines  Gate  for  the  autumn,  unless  my  scheme  about  the 
Bullers  of  Buchan  comes  to  anything. 

"Aug.  15. — 'Left  Bramford  with  Fancy;  decided  to  go  to 
the  Bullers  of  Buchan  with  Burrell  Smith,  who  is  to  meet 
me  at  Berwick  on  the  22nd." 

Before  his  departure  for  Scotland,  he  wrote  from  Vines 
Gate  to  our  friend  Caroline  von  Stadlinger,  whose  father,  a 
general  in  the  Wurtembui-g  army,  remained  at  his  post  in 
Suabia,  being  disqualified  by  reason  of  old  age  from  joining 
the  German,  troops.  I  print  this  letter  at  length,  as  repre- 
sentiug  his  views  at  this  time,  although  they  were  afterwards 
much  modified.  The  letters  to  myself  which  follow,  were 
written  during  the  Scottish  tour.  On  this,  as  on  many  other 
occasions,  my  preference  for  home-life,  especially  after  the 
temporary  failure  of  my  health  in  our  Pyrenean  tour  in  1855, 
led  me  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  being  his  companion  in 
travel ;  a  circumstance  from  which  I  now  reap  an  advantage 
not  then  foreseen,  in  being  able  to  communicate  to  others 
the  graphic  descriptions  of  his  progress,  which  he  never 
failed  to  send  me. 

,1    fv   9 


452  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

To  Miss  Von  Stadlinger. 

"  Vines  Gate,  Aug.  21,  1872. 

"  In  the  midst  of  all  these  terrible  events,  our  tliouglits 
turn  to  you  and  yours,  and  we  long  to  hear  something  about 
you.  First,  I  need  not  tell  you  how  all  England,  except  one 
or  two  of  our  journals,  rejoices  in  the  success  of  Germany, 
and  looks  with  silent  awe  upon  the  signal  vengeance  which 
seems  to  be  overtaking  the  French  Government.  Who  could 
have  thought  that  in  one  short  fortnight  the  (angebliche) 
first  military  power  in  the  world  would  so  utterly  collapse  ? 
Miserable  generalship,  and  the  distrust  of  the  people,  seem 
to  have  done  all  the  mischief.  Yet  how  nobly  their  soldiers 
have  fought !  and  how  admirably  yours.  What  a  story  that 
was  this  day  week,  of  the  Prussian  Cuirassiers.  All  the 
officers  killed,  the  regiment  reduced  from  800  to  147,  and  yet 
taking  six  guns  and  two  eagles,  and  coming  out  victorious;  but 
what  mourning  and  privation  there  will  be  in  all  Germany  ! 
God  grant  a  speedy  and  lasting  peace  !  But  how  ?  This  is 
one  of  the  most  difficult  questions.  You  have  no  right  to 
Alsace  without  consent  of  the  people,  and  France  would 
never  forgive  it,  so  the  peace  would  not  be  lasting.  But  God 
will  find  a  way,  we  trust. 

"  I  suppose  your  father  is  past  being  called  out  into  service. 
I  fancy  you  employed  in  receiving  poor  wounded  men  in  your 
fortress.  We  are  doing  all  we  can  for  the  International 
Society,  and  have  sent  them  large  supplies  of  money  and 
nurses.  Many  English  ladies  have  gone  out  to  the  battle- 
field. Some  mischievous  people  tried  to  make  out  that  we 
were  favouring  the  French  by  trading  in  coal.  But  it  was 
not  so,  we  could  not  help  ourselves.  The  law  of  nations  had 
determined  that  coal  was  not  contraband,  but  must  be  carried 
at  the  risk  of  the  carrier.  If  we  had  forbidden  it,  we  should 
have  at  once  violated  neutrality.  It  was  unfortunate  that, 
France  beiug  strong  by  sea,  we  were  thus  doing  harm  to  our 
friends  ;  but  we  could  not  help  tliat. 

"  We  are  now  here  for  the  autumn.  We  have  been  visit- 
ing Mary;    her  little  Mabel  is  the  loveliest  child,    always 


1 8  7  o]  Sketching  in  Scotland.  453 

laughing  and  happy.  Tliey  are  building  a  new  Vicarage  at 
Bramford.  Alice  and  hers  are  at  Eastbourne,  in  Sussex,  by 
the  sea.  I  am  just  going  for  a  fortnight  to  Scotland,  having 
been  disappointed  of  seeing  the  Passion^s  Spiel  at  Ammergau. 
Mrs.  Alford  is  quite  well,  and  enjoying  this  beautiful  place. 
Do  write  soon.  Our  best  regards  to  the  General  and  to  die 
liehe  Ernma.''^ 

To  HIS  Wife. 

"Aug.  23. 
"We  left  Edinburgh  at  6.48  for  Perth;  Stonehaven  to 
Dunnottar  Castle,  very  grand  cliff  scenery.  The  castle 
something  like  Tintagel,  but  larger.  At  Berwick,  we  had  to 
sleep  on  two  sofas  in  two  sitting-rooms.  My  bed  was  made 
up  with  chairs  which  would  not  keep  together,  but  parted  in 
the  middle,  so  I  introduced  my  Scottish  tour  by  sleeping  in 
a  glen.  On  Wednesday  we  were  off  after  breakfast  on  foot 
to  Dunnottar  Castle,  and  in  the  bay  beyond  the  castle  I  did 
a  large  picture.  After  lunch  another  view,  then  by  rail  to 
Aberdeen,  where  there  is  a  grand,  new  Town  Hall.  .  .  . 
Peterhead  is  an  important  place,  the  capital  of  the  herring 
fishery ;  the  barrels,  which  are  thousands  at  Stonehaven,  are 
ten  thousand  here.  The  Bullers  of  Buchan  is  six  miles  from 
Peterhead.  It  is  a  grand,  rocky  coast,  very  like  the  Lizard,  lots 
of  coves,  one  much  like  another,  and  all  wanting  days  and  days 
fco  paint  thoroughly.  The  Bullers  (Boilers)  is  a  great  hole 
or  chasm  in  the  granite,  opening  to  the  sea  by  a  natural  arch. 
When  the  sea  is  rough,  it  is  said  to  boil  like  a  caldi-on.^^ 

"  Banff,  Aug.  28. 

"  Yesterday  a  long  drive  of  forty-two  miles  along,  for  the 
most  part,  a  magnificent  rocky  coast  from  Peterhead  here. 
We  stopped  to  bait  at  Aberdour,  and  went  down  to  the  shore. 
At  that  point  begins  high  cliffs  of  slate  and  granite,  and  red 
sandstone,  and  they  increase  in  height  and  grandeur  for 
several  miles.  We  walked  along  the  cliffs,  taking  an  occa- 
sional sketch,  and  met  our  trap  again  at  a  house  vertically 
above  the  village  of  Pennan,  which,  inaccessible  by  wheels, 
nestles  under  the  cliff  on  the  beach.     My  ears  are  very  fiery  ; 


454  Life  of  Dean  A  Iford.  [C hap .  XI. 

let  us  hope  the  benefit  of  this  tour  will  come  afterwai'ds. 
Horrid  news  of  the  war ;  people  starving,  crops  being 
burnt." 

"  Fisher's  Hotel,  Pitlochrie,  Aug.  30. 
"  This  place  is  so  much  enlarg-ed  since  we  were  here  in 
1856.  We  went  to  sketch  at  thebridge,  and  then  on  to  our 
old  quarters  at  Dunfallandy.  All  the  old  people  at  the 
cottages  are  dead ;  but  they  remembered  hearing  of  my 
preaching  in  the  barn  ^     I  feel  this  glorious  air  is  doing  me 

good." 

"  Edmburgh,  Sex>t.  1. 

"  After  I  wrote  you  last  from  Pitlochrie,  we  went  in  a  trap 
to  Killiecrankie,  and  had  a  sketch  of  the  Queen's  View  over 
Loch  Tummel  and  the  Falls.  As  I  was  sketching,  two  little 
highland  lasses  with  bare  legs  were  sporting  round  us.  I 
found  they  were  sisters  of  the  page  at  Fisher's  Hotel.  I 
drew  the  falls  of  Tummel  on  my  way  back.  An  eyelash  or 
something  got  into  my  eye.  After  much  pain  I  went  to  a 
doctor,  but  he  did  me  no  good ;  so  you  must  expect  to  receive 
a  Cyclops.  Burrell  Smith  is  to  di'aw  for  me  a  large  picture 
of  the  valley  of  the  Tummel,  just  over  Dunfallandy.'' 

"Whithy,  Sept.  4. 

"  As  Bradley  and  I  were  descending  into  the  town  yester- 
day, we  met  a  boy  with  a  big  placard  rushing  like  mad. 
'  Peace  !  peace  !  Surrender  of  Napoleon.'  The  news  is 
indeed  enormous ;  such  a  fall  has  not  been,  I  think,  in  history. 
But  I  fear  much  it  will  not  bring  peace.  My  eye  is  still 
painful.  I  fear  Exodus  must  not  be  undertaken  just  yet, 
which  is  a  plague.  I  am  longing  again  for  our  pleasant 
home,  and  the  shady  wood,  and  the  one  quiet  voice.  On  the 
6th  I  hope  to  get  to  Vines  Gate,  but  I  must  get  some  dinner 
at  the  Club,  and  copy  the  'Pall  Mall'  article  about  the  Bullers 
of  Buchan,  and  a  description  by  Johnson  for  my  article  in 
'  Good  Words.' " 

On  September  6  he  returned  to  Vines  Gate.  It  became 
necessary  to  protect  his  eye  with  a  shade,  but,  notwithstand- 


^  Sec  page  260. 


1870]  Last  Sojourn  at  Vines  Gate.  455 

ing  the  irritating  effect  of  the  pain  of  it^  he  continued  to 
spend  the  entire  forenoon  as  usual  in  his  study,  working  at 
the  Commentary  on  Exodus,  arranging  the  account  of  his 
tour  for  pubHcation,  and  completing  the  sketches  which  he 
brought  home,  which  were  engraved  and  published  with  the 
article  in  "  Good  Words'^  in  the  following  April. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullock  and  their  children  came  on  the  15th 
September  to  spend  a  few  days  at  Vines  Gate.  The  condition 
of  his  eye  was  evidently  working  a  change  for  the  worse  in 
his  health  and  spii'its,  which  gave  us  some  anxiety.  Medical 
skill  had  hitherto  failed  to  arrive  at  the  origin  of  this  trouble. 
Nevertheless  he  continued  his  daily  literary  work  notwith- 
standing our  remonstrances,  and  took  as  much  pleasure  as 
ever  in  a  game  of  croquet  on  the  lawn,  or  in  a  long  afternoon 
walk  among  the  heathery  woods  of  Toy's  Hill.  The  follow- 
ing riddle  on  the  word  "  Chassepot,"  which  was  his  contri- 
bution to  an  evening's  amusement,  showed  that  his  facility 
in  versification  was  still  undiminished  : — 

"  Loud  clangs  the  horn  as  early  morn 
Hangs  on  the  Lombard  hills, 
My  jirst  is  up,  away,  away, 
The  cry  each  spirit  fills. 

"  Across  the  plain  they  rush  amain, 
Each  cheek  with  ardour  glows, 
Till  broad  across  their  onward  path 
In  pride  my  second  flows. 

Foremost  their  chief  in  bright  relief 

Against  the  sky  gleam'd  red ; 
Whom  Milan  and  whom  Naples  proved 

Worthy  to  be  their  head. 

"Ah,  different  far  the  shout  of  war 
Along  Montana's  height, 
With  other  red  that  west  is  dyed. 
And  dim  those  glances  bright. 

"  Dig  deep  the  grave  for  legions  brave 
Where  in  their  ranks  they  fell  : 
Eelentless  blazed  my  dreaded  ivhole 
And  rung  their  glory's  knell." 

On  September  19,  he  wrote  to  his  niece,  Miss  E.  M. 
Alford  :— 

''  We  are  listening  every  day  for  the  guns  at  Paris ;  is  it 
not  awful  ?  poor  Paris  will  have  to  eat  dust  and  ashes,  and 
it  is  (though  excusable)  very  foolish   for  not  giving  in.     I 


45^  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

was  talking  to  an  M.P.  yesterday,  who  has  lived  much  in 
France,  and  he  says  the  Red  Republic  and  reign  of  terror 
must  come  before  the  air  is  cleared.  If  you  want  to  see  my 
Scottish  trip,  is  it  not  written  in  the  '  Good  Words  '  of  Alex- 
ander Strahan  for  November^  ? 

"  I  am  now  touching  up  my  drawings  for  him.  But  I  got 
a  stray  eyelash  into  my  right  eye  in  Scotland,  and  it  has  been 
sadly  irritable  ever  since.  Meanwhile,  the  work  goes  on.  I 
have  to-day  done  Exodus  vii.     Genesis  is  ready  for  press. 

'^  8ept.  25. — Preached  atBrasted  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
in  the  war. 

"  Sept.  29. — Finished  Exodus  xii.  and  part  of  xiii.  Augus- 
tus Hare*  is  spending  a  day  or  two  with  us ;  he  showed  us  his 
drawings,  and  gave  us  a  wonderful  account  of  the  terrible 
flood  at  Pisa.  He  and  his  mother,  Mrs.  A.  Hare,  happened  to 
be  there  at  the  time.     News  of  the  surrender  of  Strasburg. 

"  Oct.  3. — Exodus  xiv.,  but  in  pain  and  weariness  with  my 
afflicted  eye  ;  unless  some  change  comes,  I  must  abandon 
my  life's  work.  At  12.30  in  a  fly  to  Sevenoaks,  and  to  Can- 
terbury, staying  at  Parry's. 

"  Oct.  4. — At  12.30  Meeting  at  Canterbury  for  an  educa- 
tional movement  to  work  the  Government  Bill.  Archbishop 
spoke  well  ....  got  to  Vines  Gate  to  a  7|  dinner. 

"  Oct.  6. — Exodus  XV. ;  eye  better.  Samuel  Alford,  who  has 
been  spending  a  few  days  with  us,  left  this  afternoon.  In  the 
evening  I  was  able  to  read  the  papers  once  more  to  Fanny. 

"Oct.  7. — Eye  not  so  well.  My  sixtieth  birthday.  All 
thanks  to  my  good  God." 

Wearied  with  the  increasing  pain  in  his  eye,  he  went  up 
to  London  for  the  day,  and  called  on  his  old  acquaintance, 
Mr.  James  Dixon,  the  oculist.  The  result  is  told  in  the 
following  letter  : — 

To  Mlss  H.  E.  Alpoed. 

"  rines  Gate,  Oct.'d. 
"  Many  thanks  for  your  birthday  good  wishes.     It  is  a 


'    Ifc  appeared  in  April,  1871. 

*>  Augustus  J.  C.  Hare,   author  of "  Memorials  of  a  Quiet  Life,"  2  vols. 
Walks  in  Eome,"  &c. 


1 8  7 o]  The  injured  Eye  relieved.  457 

serious  thing,  tliis  being  sixty, — looks  as  if  it  were  time  to 
say  good  night.  But  it  is  an  endless  comfort  that  with  the 
good  night  will  come  a  good  morning  on  the  other  side. 
The  day  (7th)  was  curiously  celebrated.  My  damaged  eye  had 
become  unbearable  any  longer,  so  I  went  up  to  Dixon  to 
have  it  examined.  His  practised  eye  instantly  detected,  and 
his  skilful  hand  extracted — what  do  you  think,  of  all  things 
in  creation  ? — a  fish-scale  !  The  pain  had  begun  while  I  was 
sketching  the  falls  of  the  Tummel  at  Pitlochrie,  a  well-known 
salmon-leap.  There  was  a  brisk  breeze  blowing  from  the 
fall,  and  it  must  have  carried  into  my  eye  a  scale  which  was 
tossed  in  the  spray.  It  has  proved  to  me  Apostolic  Succes- 
sion ;  for  I  doubt  whether  I  am  not  the  next  link  to  St.  Paul, 
it  cannot  have  happened  to  any  one  since.  See  Acts  ix.  18. 
I  should  so  like  to  get  to  Rome  and  see  it  next  spring.  But 
this  must  depend  on  a  great  many  things,  of  course.  It  is 
so  pleasant  to  write  without  pain. 

"  This  is  our  Hevision  week,  so  I  shall  be  in  town  all  the 
week." 

To  her  sister.  Miss  E.  M.  Alford,  he  wrote : — 
"Many  thanks  for  your  good  wishes.  I  only  hope  the 
Master's  work  may  be  got  done  by  bedtime — the  falling  asleep 
and  the  awaking.  I  have  told  Etty  the  way  in  which  I 
have  kept  my  birthday,  and  the  curious  result.  Tell  papa  it 
had  got  worn  down  during  the  five  weeks  it  had  been  in,  tiU 
it  was  quite  thin,  and  just  like  a  little  watch-glass :  it  was 
springy,  and,  when  touched  with  an  iron  point,  as  we  were 
examining  it,  hopped  away.  This  terrible  war  is  going  on 
sadly  too  long.  I  am  not  French  in  my  sympathies ;  more 
than  from  my  heart  I  pity  them  now.  They  have  paid  the 
penalty  of  a  people  without  reality,  and  the  nation  as  it  has 
been  since  1789  has  simply  collajDsed.  It  is  vain  trying  to 
dislocate  the  empire  and  the  people ;  it  was  their  child,  and 
for  it  they  must  be  held  responsible.  Their  ingratitude  to 
Louis  Napoleon,  who  did  more  for  them  commercially  than 
any  man  in  his  time,  is  abominable.  But  I  begin  to  fear  the 
Germans  are  set  upon  building  up  even  a  greater  and  falser 
state   of   things   than   the  French  ever   did.       The  French 


45^  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XL 

fallacy  was  supremacy  by  means  of  au  army.  The  Germans^ 
is  the  greater  crime  of  universal  military  life,  and  by  means 
of  it  the  unchristianizing  of  Europe;  at  least  I  fear  so.  I 
should  like  to  see  an  answer  to  the  question,  '  "Why  is  Paris 
besieged  ?'     I  have  never  been  able  yet  to  answer  it. 

"  My  Riviera  book  is  just  out." 

On  October  11,  he  went  to  town  for  four  days'  work  on 
the  Revision  of  the  English  New  Testament.  On  the  14th 
he  wrote  to  me  from  the  Athen^um  : — 

"After  my  revision  work  on  the  12th,  I  preached  Bradley's 
Harvest  Sermon  from  Ps.  Ixv.  1.  Many  clergymen,  and  to 
supper  afterwards.  Next  day  sad  headache,  the  inevitable 
concomitant  of  supper ;  but  better  after  breakfast,  and  wo 
had  a  hard  day's  work  at  the  revision  over  Matt.  v.  22 — 37. 
Then  I  dined  with  the  Hamiltons ;  and  then  a  gathering  at 
the  Deanery,  Westminster,  of  all  the  small  world  of  London 
there.  The  news  of  course  you  have  heard.  '  The  Royal 
maiden  all  for  Lome,' — is  it  not  remarkable  ?  What  will  she 
be  called  ? 

"  How  funny  that  I  should  spin  by  yoa  in  the  express 
this  afternoon,  on  my  way  to  Bettshanger,  where  I  am 
asked  to  meet  Count  Bernstoff.  On  Tuesday,  as  I  passed 
on  the  railway,  I  saw  distinctly  the  house,  and  the  mirror 
glittering.      Conservez-vous,  ma  chere." 

In  the  following  week  we  received  visits  at  Vines  Gate 
from  the  Rev.  R.  Hake  and  Mrs.  Hake,  and  afterwards  from 
Mr.  Burrell  Smith,  his  companion  in  the  recent  Scotch  torn', 
to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  much  of  his  progress  in  water- 
colour  drawing,  and  who  on  this  occasion  came  to  sketch 
some  of  the  pretty  Kentish  scenery  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
our  house. 

He  mentions  in  his  journal : — 

'^  Oct.  24. — Magnificent  Aurora ;  finest  seen  in  this  coun- 
try. All  the  sky  except  south  crimson,  in  great  pillars  and 
radii.  Burrell  Smith  sketched  it  from  the  window,  and  I  put 
in  the  foreground." 

A  visit  which  we  paid  on  Oct.  22  to  Lord  Stanhope,  at 


iSyo]  Letter  to  America.  459 

Clievening-,  and  the  sight  of  the  splendid  collection  of  all 
sorts  of  MS.  letters,  old  books,  relics,  &c.,  &c.,  are  mentioned 
with  delight  in  his  jonrnal. 

The  following  letter  was  written  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Allon, 
who  had  just  sailed  on  a  voyage  to  America  : — 

"  Oct.  20. 

"You  will  indeed  find  things  here  not  altered  but 
thoroughly  swept  away.  France  is  for  our  time  gone, 
vanished  from  the  nations.  I  paid  a  four  days'  visit  in  June, 
running  in  traps  along  the  north  coast  from  Boulogne  to 
Havre,  and  I  look  upon  it  now  as  the  last  interview  with  an 
old  friend.  1  shall  never  see  France  again.  The  plains  and 
hills  and  rivers  I  may,  but  France  never.  The  merry  laugh 
of  bustling  industry  is  changed  for  the  execration  of  revenge, 
exit  monkey,  enter  tiger.  The  feeling  is  growing  here,  that 
the  Germans  are  pushing  too  far.  But  to-day  I  have  a  note 
from  a  friend  with  whom  Count  Bernstoff  has  been  staying, 
and  he  says  that  there  is  a  little  hope  of  peace.  The  lull 
before  the  bombardment  of  Paris,  I  fancy,  is  due,  not  only 
to  the  getting  up  of  the  siege-train,  but  to  negotiations 
also. 

"  The  New  Testament  Company  met  again  last  week,  and 
we  have  got  to  the  middle  of  Matthew  vi. ;  slow  work,  but 
steady.  I  am  working  on  with  Exodus  ;  Genesis  was  finished 
before  coming  here.  At  its  conclusion,  I  went  ojBF  to  the 
north-east  of  Scotland,  with  an  artist  friend.  .  .  .  You  will 
also  find  a  new  era  in  postage  begun.  The  halfpenny  cards 
(begun  October  1st)  have  become  a  great  institution.  Some 
of  us  make  large  use  of  them  to  write  short  Latin  epistles 
on,  and  are  brushing  up  our  Cicero  and  Pliny  for  that 
purpose.  I  hope  you  may  be  able  to  come  down  to  Canter- 
bury this  winter,  and  tell  us  about  your  trans -Atlantic 
adventures. 

"  I  wish  you  a  safe  and  pleasant  voyage.''^ 

The  next  week,  business  took  him  twice  to  Canterbury. 
Both  journeys  were  hurried,  and  exhausted  his  strength  ;  on 


4^0  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XI. 

one  occasion  lie  went  to  ofl&ciate  at  the  wedding  of  a  yonng 
friend  ^ ,  on  the  other,  to  preside  at  a  public  dinner. 

We  received  as  visitors  at  Vines  Gate  our  friends  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  Cunliffe,  and  Mr.  B.  H.  Alford. 

The  following  letters  were  written  to  his  nieces  : — 

To  Miss  H.  E.  Alfoed. 

"  Vines  Gate,  Oct.  30. 
''  Tell  Bessie  I  was  deep  in  her  story,  at  Ashford,  when  a 
guard  looked  in  with  '  Like  a  paper,  sir  ?  Metz  has  fallen,* 
so  exit  Bessie  for  the  '  Times.'  Poor  France,  she  must  suc- 
cumb now,  I  suppose.  To  resist  any  longer  would  be  to 
make  all  Prance  a  horde  of  brigands,  for  there  is  no  army  left ; 
but  their  lying  rulers  will  keep  them  a  month  in  ignorance. 
The  war  is  a  dreadful  tragedy;  Carlyle  says,  more  like  Michael 
and  Satan  than  anything  in  history.'' 

To  Miss  E.  M.  Alfoed. 

"  Oct.  31. 

"  There  is  a  most  interesting  telegram  of  two  columns  in 
to-day's  '  Daily  News,'  from  their  Metz  Correspondent,giving 
the  whole  detail  of  the  surrender.  There  are  signs  of  Aurora 
again  to-night ;  how  grand  they  were  on  Monday  and  Tuesday 
last  !  We  are  just  going  to  dine  at  Lord  Stanhope's,  three 
miles  off;  so  we  shall  have  a  good  view." 

The  first  few  days  of  November  were  spent  quietly  at 
Vines  Gate.  One  of  the  daily  entries  in  his  journal  is  a 
specimen  : — 

"  Nov.  3. — Exodus  in  the  morning  ;  took  dearest  F.  in  the 
afternoon  over  Westerham  Common  to  the  old  sham  ruin, 
and  a  very  beautiful  spot  in  the  Squerries  Woods,  where  the 
beech  leaves  looked  bright  burnt  sienna  agaiiist  the  strange 
metallic  green  of  the  grass.  Evening  as  usual ;  read  the 
papers  to  her." 

On  the  7th  of  November  he  went  to  London  for  four  days' 
work    on   the   Eevision.     On  the  9th  of   November    (Lord 


Leaving  Vines  Gaie  at  6. 15,  and  returniiig  late  the  same  eveniug. 


i87o]  Mr.G.C.DiM.  461 

Mayor's  day)  there  was  a  remarkably  dense  fog  in  Loudon. 
In  the  erening  he  wrote  to  me  : — 

To  HIS  Wife, 

"  Atlienamn,  Nov.  9. 

"  As  dark  as  night  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  I  hear 
from  Merivale  that  he  saw  the  Lord  Mayor,  and  how  during 
half  an  hour  it  cleared,  and  it  was  very  pretty  on  the  Em- 
bankment. We  have  done  a  good  day's  work ;  all  chap,  vii., 
and  part  of  chap.  viii. 

"  Yesterday,  what  with  Revision  in  the  morning,  and  Me- 
taphysical at  night  we  had  a  hard  day.  It  was  a  capital 
nieeting." 

In  this  week  his  journal  begins  to  record  frequent  com- 
plaints of  troublesome  feelings,  of  oppression  in  the  head, 
buzzing  in  the  ears,  and  sleeplessness  at  night.  He  returned 
to  Vines  Grate  on  Saturday,  Nov.  1 2 .  On  Sunday,  after  preach- 
ing in  the  morning  in  Brasted  Church,  he  wrote  in  the  even- 
ing a  Fireside  Homily  on  "  The  Gospel  of  the  Children." 

On  Tuesday,  Nov.  15,  he  records,  "Finished  Exodus  xxv., 
and  left  off  work  for  the  present  \"  Our  friend,  the  Eev. 
T.  S.  Huxley  of  Canterbury,  was  our  visitor  this  week. 

On  Sunday,  Nov.  20,  he  preached  again  at  Brasted,  and 
in  the  afternoon  a  change  in  the  weather  enabled  us  to 
walk  to  Toy's  Hill,  and  enjoy  the  view  from  thence. 

The  next  day  we  left  Vines  Gate  to  spend  four  days  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullock  at  Kensington  ;  there  we  met  at  dinner 
a  family  whom  my  husband  knew  previously  only  by  a  cor- 
respondence. Mr.  Govin  Chunder  Dutt,  a  Christian  Hindoo, 
had  come  to  England  for  the  purpose  of  g•i^'ing  his  daughters 
some  educational  advantages  which  cannot  be  procured  in 
Calcutta.  The  father,  at  and  after  the  time  of  his  conversion, 
was  a  reader  of  ''  Alford's  Greek  Testament."  From  reading 
the  notes ",  he  conceived  so  deep  a  regard  for  the  author,  that 
he  wrote  from  Calcutta  a  letter  full  of  gratitude  and  affection. 


1  This  Commentary  on   "  Genesis  and  part  of  Exodus,"  was   printed  in 
1872  in  one  volume  (338  pages),  and  was  published  by  Strahan  and  Co. 
-  And  from  a  perusal  of  "  Alford's  Poems." 


462  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XI. 

and  expressed  the  same  feelings  in  a  poem  and  sonnet  ^.  Tlie 
pleasure  on  both  sides  was  very  great  when  they  met  at 
Kensington.  And  in  the  evening  of  the  24th  we  retm^ned 
to  Canterbury^  where  he  was  required  for  the  business  of 
the  Audit. 


3  The  "  Dutt  Family  Album,"  published  by  Messrs.  Longman,  in  which 
these  poems  are  printed,  is  a  small  collection  written  by  two  or  three 
authors.  Its  versification  would  be  highly  creditable  to  a  literaiy  English- 
man ;  but  considered  as  the  production  of  persons  who  had  never  seen 
England,  it  is  a  most  remarkable  work. 


CHAPTER   XIL 

1870-1871. 

Declining  Health — Revision  Work  relinquished — Old  Tes- 
tament Commentary  suspended — Last  days— Funeral — 
Opinions  of  his  Character  and  Works. 

WHEN  we  came  to  Canterbury  lie  made  no  attempt 
to  resume  the  composition  of  tlie  Commentary 
which  he  had  laid  aside  a  fortnight  previously.  And  now  the 
usual  record  of  a  morning  spent  in  literary  work  disappears 
from  his  journal ;  but  in  its  place  there  are  such  entries  as 
''  arranged  room  and  correspondence  by  way  of  being  idle, 
as  I  am  told  to  he,"  &g.,  "as.  yesterday,  arranging/^  &c. 
Was  this  an  unconscious  preparation  for  the  approaching 
event  ? 

On  his  first  two  days  at  Canterbury,  he  records  his 
"  gladness  to  get  once  more  into  the  old  place "  and 
"  pleasure  after  our  long  hill  solitude  to  see  old  faces  once 
"  more. 

''Sunday,  Nov.  27. — Morning,  Bishop  Parry,  capital  ser- 
mon. I,  first  of  four  sermons  on  the  war  \  "  Cease  ye  from 
man,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils  :  for  wherein  is  he  to 
be  accounted  of  ?^^  Isaiah  ii.  22. 

"Nov.  28. — Audit;  numberless  applications  for  aid  to 
schools  in  consequence  of  the  new  Education  Act.  Rhode^s 
Concert. 


1  These  four  sermons  were  published.  "  Truth  and  Trust :  Lessons  of  the 
War ;"  and  the  book  was  passing  through  the  press  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
Jn  page  20  will  be  found  some  remarks  on  the  breaking  up  of  a  household  ; 
perliaps  he  had  in  his  mind  the  decay  of  his  own  health. 


464  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

"  'Nov.  29. — Meeting  about  education  plans. 

"  Nov.  30. — Audit ;  King's  Scliool  dinner ;  Mayor  on  my 
right ;  I  proposed  his  health. 

"  Dec.  1 . — To  town,  to  Ecclesiastical  Commission ;  after- 
wards to  Bramford;  all  well,  and  new  house  getting  on 
famously. 

"Dec.  2. — To  Ipswich,  to  buy  grates  for  the  new  house. 

"Dec.  3. — Snow;  writing  letters,  and  polishing  to-morrow's 
sermon  for  Windsor ;  at  one  to  town  ;  about  an  hour  at  the 
Athenaeum ;  then  to  the  Deanery,  Windsor. 

"  Sunday,  Dec.  4. — At  twelve  to  the  Castle  service  ;  Queen 
there ;  preached  on  "  Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders,  ye 
will  not  believe,"  John  iv.  48  '. 

"  In  the  afternoon  to  Eton  College  with  Mr.  Marriott ; 
most  striking  sight ;  800  boys,  choral  service.  Hugh 
Pearson  and  Lord  A.  Hervey  dined  at  the  Deanery. 

"  Tuesday,  Dec.  6. — '  Literary '  dinner  last  night ;  returned 
to  Canterbury  by  the  early  train.  Arranging,  &c.,  in  the 
library;  evening.  Harmonic  Union  practice. 

"  Dec.  7. — Audit  again ;  snow  most  unpleasant ;  our  din- 
ner party  twenty-one." 

On  Thursday,  Dec.  8,  and  again  on  the  10th,  he  went 
through  the  snow  by  special  request  to  pay  a  ministerial 
visit  to  the  Eev.  J.  B.  Reade,  then  lying  on  his  death-bed  in 
the  Rectory -house,  Bishopsbourne  ^. 

On  Sunday,  Deo.  11,  he  preached  his  third  sermon  on 
the  war,  and  four  days  of  the  following  week  were  the  last 
which  he  devoted  to  the  work  of  revising  the  English  Now 
Testament. 

After  spending  the  morning  and  afternoon  of  Tuesday, 
the  1 3th,  in  that  work ",  and  the  evening  "  at  a  Metaphy- 


2  This  sermon  is  printed  in  "  Truth  and  Trust,"  page  31. 

3  It  is  not  easy  to  avoid  recalling  the  visit,  in  the  winter  of  IfiOO,  of  a 
Prebendary  of  Canterbury  (Dr.  Saravia)  to  the  Rectory  of  Bishopsbourne, 
"  about  one  day  before  the  death  "  of  Richard  Hooker,  then  Rector.  See 
Walton's  "  Life  of  Hooker." 

■*  A  post -card  written  that  evening  was  the  last  communication  I  received 
from  him.  "  Ma  tres  chere, — Tout  va  bien;  hier  et  aujourd'hui  nous  avons 
finis  chapp.  x.  et  xi.  de  I'Evaugile  do  S.  Maithieu.      Tout  a  vous,  H.  A." 


1870]  Vl^ithdraival from  Literary  Work.  465 

sical"  meeting,  lie  woke  the  next  morning  "at  four,  with 
buzzing  in  the  head  and  throbbing,  as  during  last  Revision 
week/^ 

The  same  work  was  repeated  on  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day®, followed  eacli  time  by  the  same  evil  symptoms.  At 
the  suggestion  of  the  Rev,  J.  H.  Hamilton,  in  whose  house 
he  was  staying,  he  consulted  on  Friday  Dr.  Battye,  who 
"pronounced  the  brain  overworked,  and  ordered  total  rest 
even  to-day  from  Revision.  I  am  to  take  phosphates, 
Hungarian  wine,  cauliflour,  and  do  nothing.  I  went  to 
bid  farewell  to  the  Revision  Company,  and  telegraphed  to 
Fanny  to  say,  '  I  shall  be  home  to  dinner  j  I  have  not  been 
well.^^^ 

The  following  letters  connected  with  the  events  of  this 
day  were  received  two  or  three  days  afterwards. 

From  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton  ^ 

"  How  are  you  ?  is  the  head  quiet  and  comfortable 
again,  &c.  .  .  .  We  have  had  many  an  anxious  thought 
about  you  since  you  left  us ;  while  grieving  over  the  forced 
abstinence  from  hard  work,  and  the  loss  of  its  fruits  to  the 
world,  we  admire  more  than  I  can  express,  the  way  in 
which  you  submit  to  the  self-denying  ordinance;  the  fear, 
perhaps,  may  be  lest  in  feeling  well  again  after  a  certain 
rest  you  should  be  tempted  to  resume  your  old  toil.'^ 

From  Archdeacon  Bickersteth. 

"  I  fear  I  but  imperfectly  expressed  yesterday  my  sym- 
pathy with  you  in  your  breakdown ;  but  I  trust  it  is  only 
temporary,  and  that  you  may  be  spared  for  some  years  of 
usefulness;  we  missed  you  sadly,  and  shall  be  glad  to 
have  you  back  to  Jerusalem  Chamber,  January  31st,  please 
God.^' 


*  Endmg  his  work  with  the  Company  of  Ee'vnsers  at  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
St.  IMatthew.  "  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  My  Father  which  is  in 
heaven,  the  same  is  My  brother,  and  sister,  aud  mother." 

''  Now  Canon  of  Eochester. 

H    h 


466  Life  of  Dean  Alford.         [Chap.  XII. 

I  insert  in  this  place  the  two  next  letters^  because  they 
relate  to  this  time  :  they  were  written  some  weeks  after- 
wards. 

To  Myself,  from  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hamilton. 

"  On  his  last  visit  to  us,  we  were  more  struck  than  ever 
before  by  his  sunny,  holy,  loving  state  of  mind ;  even  Dr. 
Battye^s  opinion,  giving  a  death-blow  to  his  most  fondly- 
cherished  work,  never  disturbed  his  equanimity  for  a 
moment.  Not  a  murmur  escaped  him,  but  cheerfully  he 
expressed  his  submission  and  determination  to  obey  the 
doctor's  desire.  My  wife  and  I  were  lost  in  admiration  of 
his  conduct,  and  indeed  his  whole  spirit  and  conversation, 
all  the  time  he  was  here,  were  sweet  and  bright  beyond 
measure.  This  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  he  had  little 
sleep,  and  felt  the  pressure  of  the  Eevision  work  daily  more 
and  more. 

"  On  looking  back,  we  feel  that  he  was  ripe  for  glory.  .  .  . 
He  has  left  his  mark  on  the  mind  of  this  generation  as  few 
others  have  done.  Those  he  has  left  behind  will  now  learn 
more  fully  what  a  noble  work  he  achieved,  and  what  a 
benefactor  he  was  to  the  whole  Christian  Church.-" 

To  Myself,  from  Archdeacon  Bickersteth. 

"  The  Dean  of  Canterbmy  was  one  of  my  earliest  and 
dearest  friends,  and  our  Revision  labours  had  brought  us 
into  such  delightful  intercourse  again,  that  I  was  quite 
cheered  and  refreshed  by  it.  I  little  thought  when  he  left 
our  Company  on  the  16th  of  December,  in  consequence  of 
what  we  all  thought  was  but  a  passing  indisposition,  that 
I  should  not  see  him  again  on  earth.  I  need  not  say  that 
his  loss  is,  humanly  speaking,  irreparable  to  us.  He  was 
looking  pale  and  worn,  and  told  me  his  medical  adviser 
told  him  to  strike  work  immediately ;  that  there  was  con- 
gestion of  the  brain  looming  in  the  distance,  which  could 
only  be  averted,  under  God,  by  immediate  cessation  from . 
labour  and  entire  rest  for  several  weeks.     So  he  swept  oflP 


1870]         Withdrawal  from  Literary  Work.  467 

his  books  and  papers  never  to  return  to  us ;  tliough,  happily 
for  uSj  leaving  behind  him  the  printed  records  of  his  toil 
and  thought,  to  which  I  need  not  say  a  frequent  reference 
is  made  in  the  course  of  our  labours," 

Next  day  my  husband  wrote  from  Canterbury  to  his 
niece,  Miss  E.  M.  Alford: — 

"  And  now  I  have  some  tidings  for  you  about  myself, 
grave  but  happily  not  (or  not  yet)  sad.  This  week  was 
one  of  our  Kevision  sessions ;  in  our  last,  in  November, 
I  had  not  felt  well  or  up  to  the  mark.  But  this  time 
it  became  much  worse,  and  robbed  me  of  an  increasing 
portion  of  each  night.  So  I  went  to  a  big  doctor. 
The  brain  was  pronounced  overworked,  and  system  poorly 
provided  with  blood.  I  was  ordered  to  do  as  little  as 
possible  at  present ;  relinquish  editing  the  Old  Testament ; 
and  take  to  lighter  and  more  varied  work,  mischief  having 
arisen  from  too  continued  tension  on  one  anxious  subject. 
So  after  all  you  were  right,  and  it  was  a  rash  act  to  under- 
take the  Old  Testament;  the  doctor  told  me  it  was  too 
late  in  life  to  enter  on  a  new  and  laborious  department  of 
study.  So  now  it  becomes  my  employment  to  amuse  and 
benefit  others.  I  am  heartily  glad  of  the  change,  for  I  am 
beginning  to  feel  the  work  telling  on  strength  and  spirits. 
As  to  being  low  about  it,  I  cannot  see  it  so.  If  God's  good 
hand  has  brought  me  to  sixty  in  vigour,  surely  all  after  is 
pure  gain,  in  whatever  form  it  may  please  Him  to  shape 
it.  One  result  will  be  more  visits,  a  speedier  sight  of 
friends.  It  is  a  pity  the  Continent  is  shut  out,  or  one 
might  get  a  nice  run  to  the  South." 

On  Sunday,  Dec.  18,  he  preached  on  "Trust  as  a  Lesson 
of  the  War,"  and  his  condition  of  health  is  recorded  as 
"  tolerably  well  all  day,  but  the  noise  in  the  attic  unremoved." 

On  Wednesday  Dr.  Battye  requested  him  to  abstain  from 
music  (he  was  then  practising  for  a  performance  at  Canter- 
bury of  "  Acis  and  Galatea"). 

He  wrote  to  his  daughters  as  follows  : — 
To  Mrs.  Bullock. 

"  The  old  trouble  of  seething  and  throbbing  head  kept 
H  h2 


468  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

me  awake  three  hours  on  Tuesday  nighty  and  four  on 
Wednesday.  And  on  Thursday,  it  was  very  much  worse 
than  I  had  ever  had  it  before.  So  on  Friday  morning,  I 
went  to  Dr.  Battye,  and  got  regularly  overhauled,  and  he 
said  it  was  bi-ain  overworked,  and  with  too  intense  straining* 
on  one  subject;  this  he  said  at  once,  and  that  it  would 
come  to  mischief  in  a  few  months  if  work  were  not  given 
up.  He  begged  me  not  to  go  to  the  Revision  on  Friday, 
ordered  me  peremptorily  to  give  up  the  Old  Testament,  as 
too  much  for  the  mind  at  my  time  of  life.  All,  he  thinks, 
will  be  well  again,  now  it  is  taken  in  time.  So  a  change 
has  come  o^er  the  spirit  of  my  dream,  one  which  I  am  not 
on  the  whole  sorry  for,  as  I  was  getting  sure  I  could  not 
go  on  with  full  work.  I  am  better,  and  have  slept  better 
since  Friday.  My  own  view  is,  a  man  who  has  lived  to 
sixty  has  so  much  occasion  for  thankfulness,  it  ought  to 
overpower  every  other  feeling ;  so  it  has  not  occurred  to 
me  to  be  in  low  spirits.  I  shall  now  look  up  the  colour- 
box  and  the  garden  tools,  and  the  fishing-rods  of  old  days, 
and  take  up  light  literature  once  more." 

To  Mus.  Crtjso. 

"  Bee.  18. 

"Dr.  Battye  pi'onounces  what  I  always  expected,  the 
brain  to  be  overworked  with  being  fixed  on  one  subject. 
Forbade  me  going  on  with  the  Revision  on  Friday,  and,  on 
my  confessing  the  Old  Testament  plan,  said  I  must  give  it 
up,  as  too  great  a  strain  at  this  time  of  life  for  the  brain.  I 
am  to  do  as  little  work  as  possible  just  now — to  draw,  garden, 
travel,  everything  but  mental  puzzle;  all  will  come  right 
with  rest  and  great  care.  I  was '  becoming  painfully  con- 
scious that  I  could  not  carry  out  the  Old  Testament  woi'k. 
It  is  too  late  to  begin  an  arduous  new  pursuit,  involving  a 
new  language;  the  effect  on  the  whole  will  be,  if  all  goes 
well,  to  make  me  better  company  and  more  useful  to  -the 
generality  of  men.  Sermons,  articles,  a  tour  or  two,  &c. ; 
and  as  to  lowness  of  spirits,  it  is  not  my  way  of  taking  such 
things.     God's  goodness  has  brought  me  past  sixty.     I  owe 


1870]  Last  Christmas.  469 

Him  too  mucli  ever  to  murmur  at  wliat  He  does  with  me  now. 
I  am  painting  a  large  picture  for  the  Huxleys.  On  the 
27th  is  our  Choristers'  treat.  How  I  do  wish  you  and  yours 
could  be  here.  All  love  to  the  venerable  pastor,  and  the 
one  solitary  lamb  of  the  flock.  The  most  blessed  of  Christ- 
mases,  and  happiest  of  New  Years  to  you  all,  prays  your 
loving  ancestor.''^ 

On  Thursday,  the  22nd,  he  writes  : — "  Saw  the  eclipse  of 
the  sun  very  well,  the  last  certainly  I  shall  ever  see.  Dined 
at  the  Parry s.^' 

The  following  letter  to  his  niece  was  written  on  this 
day : — 

To  Miss  H.  E.  Alfokd. 

"Dec.  22. 

"  I  thought  you  would  like  to  have  a  report  of  progress. 
I  am  getting  on,  I  think,  just  a  wee  bit ;  more  and  more 
sleep  certainly,  but  the  swarm  of  bees  not  yet  hived.  The 
doctor  commands  rest  from,  mental  work  of  every  kind  for  at 
least  a  month,  and  even  then  no  resumption  unless  natural 
sleep  and  silence  in  the  attics.  Alice  and  her  chicks  come  to 
us  on  Monday  for  a  fortnight,  and  will  be,  of  course,  a  diver- 
sion from  the  occupation  of  sitting  and  listening  to  the 
hubbub  within.  After  that  could  you  come  to  us  for  a  few 
weeks  ?  I  feel  as  if  you  would  be  a  great  comfort  in  the 
way  of  reading  to  me  and  sitting  with  me. 

"My  visit  to  Somersetshire  must  be  put  off  till  the  18th 
of  January,  as  on  the  12th  I  am  engaged  to  dine  at  Tyler 
Hill,  to  meet  the  bride ;  and  on  the  1 7th  our  Choristers  give 
their  annual  Concert,  at  which  my  absence  will  sadly  dis- 
appoint the  poor  boys ;  so  we  will  say  the  18th  provisionally, 
but  I  will  write  again.  On  the  27th  is  our  Choristers'  party. 
A  Christmas  tree  and  Charades,  in  which  I  act  with  them.'' 

On  Christmas-day  he  preached  on  Romans  i.  1—4,  and  in 
the  afternoon  he  complained  of  feeling  unusually  tired  and 
sleepy  in  the  service.  Our  neighbour  Miss  Hole  dined  at 
the  Deanery,  and  he  adds,  "'we  thought  of  the  poor  people 
in  the  war." 

His  journal  goes  on,  on  December  26th  : — 


470  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XII. 

''  Preparing  dining-room  for  the  usual  Choristers^  party  to- 
morrow. At  12.30  William,  Alice,  and  their  children  came 
from  London,  and  afterwards  Alice  B.  from  Ramsgate ; 
evening  with  them.  Felt  pretty  well,  thank  God.  Rehearsal 
in  the  morning  of  the  Charade  with  the  Choristers  and  Hake. 

"Bee.  27. — Poorly  all  day,  but  much  to  do  in  preparing 
for  the  party.  Rehearsal  at  eleven;  party  went  off  well. 
We  acted  '  Horse-spy-table,'  with  incidents  of  the  war,  end- 
ing with  the  King  of  Prussia  and  Bismarck  being  taken 
prisoners  by  Trochu,  and  let  off  on  condition  of  yielding  the 
Rhine  frontier." 

In  the  next  three  days  he  completed  a  painting  of  "  The 
Land's  End  in  Stormy  Weather"  for  his  friend  the  Rev. 
T.  S.  Huxley.  He  records  agreeable  walks  with  Canon 
Robertson  : — "  Frost  continues  unabated ;  much  skating,  but 
I  have  not  been  this  year.  Health  gradually  improving,  I 
hope." 

On  the  31st  December  he  writes  : — "  Afternoon,  looked  in 
at  Canon  Stone's  children's  costume  party;  very  pretty. 
Rehearsal  at  the  Music  Hall. 

*'  Sat  up  to  the  New  Year.  God  be  praised  for  all  His 
mercies  during  this  year  of  great  events.  He  only  knows 
when  this  my  course  will  end.  May  its  evening  be  bright, 
and  its  morning  eternal  day." 

New  Year's  day,  1871,  was  a  Sunday.  He  enters  in  his 
journal,  "  Good  sermon  from  Bishop  Parry  on  Isaiah  xxx.  21. 
I  preached  on  Ps.  iii.  5  and  iv.  9.  Evening  and  morning 
thanksgivings.  '  I  laid  me  down  and  slept,  and  rose  up 
again;  for  the  Lord  sustained  me.  I  will  lay  me  down  in 
peace  and  take  my  rest ;  for  it  is  Thou,  Lord,  only  that 
makest  me  dwell  in  safety.' 

'^  God  only  knows  whether  I  shall  survive  this  year.  I 
sometimes  think  my  health  is  giving  way,  but  His  will  be 
done." 

Happily  a  young  friend  has  preserved  a  few  notes  taken 
down  at  the  time  of  this  his  last  and  most  striking  New 
Year's  extempore  sermon : — 

"  The  secret  of  the  peacefulness  with  which  the  Psalmist 


1871]  Sermon  07i  Neio  Years  Day.  471 

went  each  night  to  rest,  undisturbed  by  the  cares  of  the  past 
day  or  fears  for  the  morrow,  is  answered  in  the  second  verse 
I  have  quoted,  ^  For  the  Lord  sustained  me.'  .  .  .  Let  us 
heartily  thank  God  for  His  goodness  to  us  in  times  past,  and 
pray  to  Him  still  to  guide  our  steps  during  the  year  which 
has  just  begun,  without  longing  too  anxiously  for  the  grati- 
fication of  our  own  particular  wishes,  which  must  be  short- 
sighted and  may  be  wrong.  Let  us  humbly  leave  all  in 
God^s  hands ;  for  which  of  us  can  even  imagine  what  one  year 
or  day  may  bring  forth  ?  If  we  look  for  a  warning  near 
home'',  we  shall  find  it  in  the  death  of  one  who  has  been 
among  us  for  many  years ;  one  whose  removal  we  feel  the 
more  strongly,  from  the  regularity  of  his  attendance  at  the 
Cathedral  services.  Any  of  us  may  be  summoned  to  follow 
him  before  this  year  is  over ;  then  let  us  lose  not  a  day  in 
preparing  to  meet  our  God.  If  we  turn  to  the  affairs  of 
Europe,  how  fearfully  do  they  show  man's  utter  inabiHty  to 
look  even  a  few  months  into  the  future.  Well  may  we 
tremble  at  the  unthought-of  ruin  which  has  so  suddenly 
fallen  on  France.  How  many  of  those  now  present  will  meet 
together  here  next  New  Year's  day,  or  what  public  events 
may  then  have  taken  place,  it  is  not  for  us  to  consider.  Our 
duty  is  to  trust  wholly  in  God's  love,  '  Casting  all  your  care 
upon  Him,  for  He  careth  for  you;'  and  to  strive  earnestly 
to  become  less  and  less  unworthy  of  His  love  and  care." 

On  the  3rd  of  January  he  attended  a  meeting  to  establish  a 
Relief  and  Mendicity  Society,  and  on  every  day  this  week  he 
was  engaged  in  some  meeting  or  conference  on  this  subject ; 
for  whilst  no  doubt  was  expressed  as  to  the  desirableness  of 
such  a  society  in  Canterbury,  there  was  a  great  difierence  of 
opinion  as  to  its  constitution.  The  Dean  and  the  Mayor 
were  named  chairmen  of  two  separate  committees,  and  it  was 
my  husband's  chief  care  throughout  the  week  to  bring  the 
two  into  union.  He  had  interviews  with  various  persons, 
and  thus  he  was  many  times  exposed  both  to  the  outside  air 
while  snow  was  falling  or  thawing  on  the  ground,  and  to  the 


7  Referring  to  a  member  of  tlie  cougrcgation  wlio  had  died  suddenly. 


472  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XII. 

trialj  even  more  severe  to  a  person  in  liis  state  of  licaltli^  of 
protracted  discussions  in  cold  rooms. 

On  Thursday,  the  5th^  we  dined  at  Bishop  Parry's^  and 
the  following  letters  were  written  : — 

To  HIS  Niece,  Miss  E.  M.  Alfgrd.  ^      ^ 

"  Jan.  5. 

"  There  is  just  a  loose  point  or  two  about  my  plan  of 
coming  to  you.  My  doctor  does  not  like  my  travelling  this 
severe  weather.  He  does  not  absolutely  forbid  it,  but  says 
getting  chilled  in  the  way  up  to  see  him  would  do  more  harm 
than  he  could  do  good.  And  we  have  just  arranged  a  per- 
manent Poor  Relief  and  Mendicity  Society,  of  which  I  am 
chairman,  and  this  occupies  the  mornings,  as  long  as  the 
severe  weather  lasts.  But,  still,  I  am  in  hopes  all  these  will 
get  out  of  the  way  by  the  18th,  Only  I  tell  you  in  order  to 
provide  for  contingencies.  I  am  better;  sleep  has  returned 
nicely,  the  noise  is  not  gone,  but  not  so  loud.  I  can  do 
everything  but  literary  work." 

To  THE  Rev.  D.  P.  Alfgrd^. 

"  Jan.  5. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  invitation,  which  it  would 
give  me  great  pleasure  to  accept  if  it  wore  possible,  but  I 
have  not  yet  got  my  doctor\s  leave  to  go  even  to  Somerset- 
shire. I  am,  I  hope,  getting  on  :  I  can  do  pretty  well  every- 
thing but  the  one  thing  which  is  my  natural  occupation — 
literary  work.  Next  week  my  Harmonic  Union  will  per- 
form '  Acis  and  Galatea,^  and  the  '  May  Queen,^  and 
the  rehearsal  employs  many  evenings;  so  that,  although 
knocked  off  work,  I  am  by  no  means  idle.  I  fill  up  my  time 
by  painting.  If  you  would  like  a  view  at  ^  Scilly '  for  your 
walls,  I  shall  be  happy  to  execute  your  order.  Mention  any 
particular  one  you  fancy;  I  have  in  pencil  a  view  of  St. 
Mary's  from  the  way  to  the  Telegraph,  which  has  never  been 
coloured ;  would  you  like  that  ?  the  colouring  would  not  be, 
perhaps,  quite  correct." 

The  drawing:  above  mentioned  was  never  beffun.     But  he 


*  Incumbent  of  St,  Paul's,  Tavistcck  j  formerly  Vicar  of  St.  Mary's,  Isles 
of  Sciilv. 


1 871]  The  Relief  Society.  473 

liad  found  similar  occupation  in  the  two  previous  days  in 
painting  a  picture  of  St.  Michael's  Mount,  Cornwall,  from  a 
sketch  taken  in  July,  1860,  which  he  intended  for  his 
daughter's  drawing-room  at  Kensington.  When  her  husband 
arrived  at  the  Deanery,  on  Friday,  the  6th,  it  was  agreed  that 
one  feature  was  wanting  to  complete  the  picture,  and  a  cart 
was  sketched  in  on  the  following  Monday.  The  picture  now 
remains  with  this  unfinished  addition. 

On  the  6th  he  entertained  a  dinner  party  of  twenty 
persons,  and  no  change  was  observed  in  his  health  or  spirits. 
The  next  morning,  though  the  snow  was  thawing  in  the 
streets,  he  walked  with  Mr.  Bullock  towards  the  railway,  and 
parted  from  him  in  Castle  Street ;  his  intention  being  to 
call  on  a  friend  and  concert  farther  measures  for  putting  an 
end  to  the  differences  respecting  the  Eelief  Society.  The 
last  entry  which  he  made  in  his  journal  relates  to  this 
subject : — 

"  Saturday,  Jan.  7th. — Mr.  Elgar  called  to  try  to  make 
peace,  and  I  went  to  the  Mayor  with  the  same  purpose." 

Mr.  Elgar  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  in  a 
letter  to  the  Dean  on  the  next  day,  he  says  : — 

"  The  result  of  thy  visit  to  the  Mayor  has  been  much 
before  me,  and  more  particulars  I  had  from  him  in  an  inter- 
view last  night ;  my  heart  was  warmed  when  in  the  course 
of  the  evening  I  heard  of  thy  liberal  donation  of  £5  to  the 
Mayor's  Fund ;  my  heart  does  indeed  rejoice.  And  it  is 
with  me  to  tell  thee  that  I  do  feel,  that  not  only  in  thy  indi- 
vidual capacity,  but  as  Chau^man  to  your  Association  thou 
hast  done  what  thou  couldest;  and  the  prayer  of  my  heart  is, 
that  the  blessing  of  Him  who  so  emphatically  said,  '  Blessed 
are  the  peacemakers,  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of 
God,'  may  rest  upon  thee.  Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for 
thy  kind  donation  of  £2  2s.  to  the  '  War  Victims'  Fund.' 
It  is  liberal,  for  I  am  sure  thou  hast  many  claims," 

On  Sunday,  the  8th,  he  helped  in  the  Communion  in  the 
morning,  and  preached  an  extempore  sermon,  as  well  and  as 
energetically  as  usual,  from  '•'  Verily  Thou  art  a  God  that 
hidest  Thyself,  0  God  of  Israel,  the  Saviour."  Isaiah  xlv.  15. 


474  Life  of  Dea7i  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XII. 

After  cliurch  lie  walked  to  the  Dane  Jolin.  That  morning 
he  first  mentioned  an  uncomfortable  feeling  behind  the 
right  ear,  and  he  had  a  restless  night ;  but  he  dined  with 
us  as  usual,  talked  to  his  grandchild ren,  who  came  in  to 
dessert,  and  heard  the  eldest  read.  But  his  spirits  failed 
very  soon  after  this,  and  instead  of  writing  or  reading  to 
himself  as  he  generally  did  in  the  intervals  of  our  conversa- 
tion, he  allowed  us  to  read  to  him. 

On  Monday  (9th)  he  got  up  at  his  usual  time,  and  read 
prayers  himself  with  our  household  at  eight  o^clock.     The 
portion  of  Scripture,  according  to  the  calendar  pi'efixed  to 
his  "Year  of  Prayer,"  was   Eev.   xxii.   1 — 7,  ending  with 
'^  Behold,  I   come  quickly  :    blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the 
sayings   of  the  prophecy  of  this  Book ;"  and  in  the  prayer 
appointed  for  the  day  in  the  same  Book  of  Prayers  were  the 
words  :  "  In  all  time  of  temptation  this  day;  in  all  times  of 
flattery  or  success ;  in  case  we  are   sick,  in  case  we  have  to 
die.  Good  Lord,  deliver  us."     Soon  after  breakfast,  though 
he  was  aware  that  he  had  caught  a  cold,  he  went  out  to  a 
meeting,  which  unfortunately  happened  to  be  held  in  a  cold 
room.     When  he  returned  home,  his  friend  and  secretary, 
Mr.  Hake,  was  announced,  who  had  come  for  a  conference 
on  some  of  the  literary  work  in  which  his  assistance  had 
been  found  so  valuable  in  recent  years.     My  husband,  who 
usually  was  ready  to  see  him  at  any  time,  now  asked  me  to 
go  with  a  message  to  the  effect  that  he  was  not  well,  but 
would   nevertheless    see   Mr.  Hake,   if  it    were    necessary. 
After  lunch  he  went  into  his  library,  saying  that,  as  he  felt 
unfit  for  severe  work,  he  would   finish  his  picture  of  St. 
Michael's  Mount  for  Mrs.  Bullock.     But  he  soon  got  tired 
of  this,  left  his  work  unfinished,  and  sent  for  Mr.  Hallowes, 
his  usual  medical  attendant.     Mr.  H.  treated  him  for  a  cold 
in  the  chest  and  neuralgia,  but  did  not  restrict  him  from 
going  out ;  and,  accordingly,  he  walked  for  a  short  time  in 
his  garden,  and  then  went  into  the  town.     On  his  return  he 
complained  of  restlessness,   chill,   and  failure  of  appetite; 
instead  of  going   down  to  dinner,  he  lay  on  a  sofa  in  the 
small  drawing-room,  and  took  only  some  tea. 


1871]  Last  Days.  475 

Next  morning  (lOth)  lie  was  not  disposed  to  rise,  and  his 
breathing  was  short  and  laboured,  but  he  spoke  cheerfully, 
and  we  thought  the  remedies  were  taking  effect.  His  letters 
which  came  that  morning  were  read  to  him,  and  he  gave 
directions  concerning  them,  and  dictated  and  signed  an 
answer  to  one.  The  newspapers  also  were  read  to  him.  He 
was  able  to  see  his  grandchildren,  and  appeared  to  be 
amused  by  their  talk.  That  evening  he  would  not  allow  his 
daughter  to  be  absent  from  the  concert  given  by  the 
Harmonic  Union,  though  he  was  unable  to  accompany  her 
as  had  been  ai'ranged,  or  to  receive  visitors  from  thence  that 
evening.  During  her  absence  he  slumbered  a  little,  and 
scarcely  spoke.  On  her  return  he  showed  a  desire  to  hear 
the  details  of  the  concert,  for  he  had  spent  much  time  in  the 
practisings  and  rehearsals  which  preceded  it ;  and  he  asked 
her  many  questions  as  to  the  performance  of  various  parts. 

On  "Wednesday  (11th)  morning  he  woke  after  a  longer 
sleep,  the  effect  of  medicine.  But  his  drowsiness  and  diffi- 
culty of  breathing  continued ;  he  showed  little  appetite ;  he 
did  not  care  to  have  his  letters  read  to  him,  and  he  took  no 
interest  in  passing  events,  making  no  remark  when  he  was 
told  of  any  occurrence. 

This  day  had  been  previously  fixed  for  the  return  of  his 
daughter  and  her  children  to  their  home  in  London.  She 
felt  some  hesitation;  but  after  consulting  the  doctor  and 
myself,  and  finding  that  there  was  no  apprehension  of  dan- 
ger, but  an  expectation,  that  with  rest  and  nursing  all 
would  soon  be  well,  she  left  us  in  the  afternoon.  When  she 
took  her  children  to  bid  good-bye  to  their  grandpapa,  he 
spoke  to  them  in  a  way  which  seemed  to  show  that  it  cost 
him  an  effort  to  fix  his  attention  on  what  he  was  saying. 

After  their  departure  I  did  not  leave  his  room.  He 
seemed  too  much  exhausted  to  speak  more  than  a  few 
words.  I  offered  to  read  to  him,  but  he  said  he  would 
rather  try  to  sleep. 

About  nine  in  the  evening  the  doctor  came  to  see  him ; 
and  when  his  bed  had  been  made,  he  seemed  composed  and 
refreshed  by  the  change,  and  he  put  out  his  arm  to  turn  off  the 


476  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

gas-light  by  the  side  of  tlie  bed,  and  after  I  had  prayed  with 
him,  he  tried  to  sleep.  But  as  the  night  advanced  he  became 
increasingly  restless,  though  he  spoke  no  word  of  complaint. 

I  caught  some  incoherent  sentences,  "  I  must  give  up  the 
School  Board."  "  The  Revision  is  now  beyond  me ;  I  fear  I 
cannot  go  on  with  it."  When  I  spoke  to  him,  he  said, 
"  Attending  the  Relief  Society  every  morning  has  been  too 
much  for  me."  And  once  I  heard,  '^  I  don^t  think  I  shall 
ever  get  over  this  illness.    I  shall  not  leave  my  bed  again." 

In  the  morning  (12th)  he  lay  quite  prostrate,  never 
speaking  except  to  say  "  Thank  you,  darling,"  for  any  little 
act  of  attention.  After  prayer  together,  I  sent  to  his 
doctor,  and  gave  him  his  breakfast,  for  which  he  apparently 
felt  some  appetite. 

The  doctor  on  arriving  about  nine,  saw  at  once  that  a 
change  had  taken  place,  and  that  wandering  was  coming 
on.  He  said  to  the  Dean,  "  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  have 
had  a  bad  night,"  to  which  the  answer  was,  "  No;  I  have  not 
had  a  bad  night."  He  inquired,  "Have  you  any  pain?" 
"  No,  no  pain  ! "  He  then  told  me  that  the  Dean  was  in 
considerable  danger,  and  that  I  had  better  send  by  tele- 
graph for  his  daughters. 

On  my  suggestion.  Dr.  Lochee,  the  physician,  was  called 
in.  Meanwhile  Mr.  Hallowes  sat  down  by  the  fire  to  watch. 
Presently  the  Dean  beckoned  to  him  to  come  close,  and  said 
"  Will  you  tell  the  Arch —  ? "  "  Do  you  mean  the  Arch- 
bishop?" "  No,  not  the  Archbishop."  "  The  Archdeacon, 
the  Bishop  of  Dover?"  "Yes;  will  you  move  a  vote  of 
thanks  for  his  Idndness  in  jperforming  the  ceremony  ?" 

When  Dr.  Lochee  arrived  he  was  able  to  learn  something 
of  the  symptoms  from  the  patient  himself ;  and  by  his  order 
strong  external  applications  were  used,  and  stimulants  were 
given.  But  they  produced  no  visible  effect.  He  was  fast 
sinking.  His  eye  was  fixed  on  me,  and  followed  me  when  I 
moved.  I  felt  a  slight  pressure  on  my  arm,  but  the  power 
of  speech  and  consciousness  gradually  forsook  him.  He 
was,  in  the  doctor's  opinion,  quite  free  from  suffering  of 
iniud  cir  bodv. 


1 8  7 1 J  The  last  Hour.  477 

Soon  after  twelve  o'clock  liis  brotlier,  Mr.  B.  H.  AlforJ, 
in  accordance  with  an  appointment  made  a  few  days  before, 
arrived  at  the  Deanery  with  the  purpose  of  paying  us  a 
short  visit.  My  husband  sent  him  on  Tuesday  evening  a 
message  to  the  effect,  that  he  had  a  bad  influenza,  but 
should  probably  be  well  again  in  two  or  three  days. 

The  shock  was  great  when  he  was  aware  of  the  change 
which  had  coma  over  all  our  expectations  that  morning. 
When  he  entered  the  chamber  of  sickness,  his  brother  did 
not  recognize  him  by  word  or  sign.  He  went  out  to  make 
a  last  effort  to  ascertain  from  the  physician  whether  any 
further  advice  could  avail,  and  to  bespeak  the  prayers  of 
the  congregation  in  the  cathedral.  Meanwhile  the  doctor 
and  I  remained. 

A  haze  was  observed  coming  over  his  eye ;  there  was  a 
very  slight  muscular  movement  of  the  chin  and  lips.  The 
doctor  said,  ^'  It  will  be  very  soon.''  I  was  able  in  a  few 
earnest  words  to  commend  my  beloved  husband  to  the  care 
of  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  to  ask  for  strength.  And  then 
with  a  gasp  but  no  struggle,  his  spirit  returned  to  God  who 
gave  it. 

In  the  next  few  days  whilst  addresses  and  numerous 
letters  of  condolence  showed  how  wide  was  the  circle  of 
friends  whose  respect  and  affection  he  had  won,  the  scattered 
members  of  his  family  assembled  at  the  Deanery.  In  accord- 
ance to  his  well-known  wishes,  the  funeral  was  to  be  as 
simple  ^  as  possible  in  its  arrangements. 

The  Library  was  chosen  as  the  fittest  temporary  resting- 
place  which  the  house  afforded  for  his  beloved  remains. 
Every  part  of  the  room  seemed  to  be  a  distinct  memorial 
of  some  of  the  works  in  which  the  energy  of  that  active 
spirit  was  spent.  There  was  the  recessed  window  which 
enclosed  what  we  were  used  to  call  "  the  New  Testament 
desk,"  between  shelves  filled  with  the  most  recent  works 
of  German    and  English  critics   on   the  Greek  Testament ; 


5  He  always  adhered  to  the  sentiments  which  he  had  expressed  many 
years  ago  in  his  sermon  on  Funeral  Pomp. 


478  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XII. 

the    place  of  many  a  morning^s  work   alone    or  with   his 
Secretary.     There  was    his   reading-chair   beside    the    fire- 
place, in  which  he  sat  to  receive  visitors  in  the  Library, 
and   in    which   most    of  his    recent    original   compositions, 
sermons  and  essays,  had  been  written :  and  over  the  fire- 
place, an  antique  Italian  clock  which  he  brought  from  Rome ; 
an  aneroid  barometer,  his  companion  in   all  his  tours;    a 
paper  always  displayed  conspicuously  on  the  chimney-piece, 
reminding  visitors  in  that  room  to  '^  call  on  a  business  man 
in  business  hours,  only  on  business,  transact  your  business, 
and  go  about  your  business,  in  order  to  give  him  time  to 
finish  his  business/'     In  the  centre  of  the  panel  above  the 
chimney-piece,  was   an    engraving  of  a  Virgin  and  Child 
after  Andrea  del  Sarto,  on  which  he  had  often  gazed  when 
a  child  in  his  father's  study^" ;  and  round  it  were  two  favourite 
engravings,  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
and  two  photographs  from  statues  in  the  Vatican,  Demo- 
sthenes and  Pudicitia.     There  was  the  little  table  which  he 
kept  'for  letter-writing.     There  was  the  desk  at  which  he 
was  wont  to  work  chiefly  on  his  Commentary  on  the  Old 
Testament;  beside  it,  on  a  stand,  the  first  volume  of  the 
Chapter  Library  copy  of  Walton's  Polyglot  lying  open  at 
the  Book  of  Exodus ;  and  at  the  foot  of  it  was  the  travelling 
bag,  still  unopened,  containing  a  work  of  Tischendorf,  and 
various  papers,  which'he''had  laid  down  there  after  his  return 
from  the  last  meeting  of  the  Revision  Company.     Behind 
him,  when  he  sat  there,  were  the  shelves  which  held  the 
Abbe  Migne's  collection  of  Greek  and  Latin   Fathers,  his 
last  large    addition  to  his  Library.     Next  stood  the  table 
with  his  box  of  colours  and  other  drawing  apparatus,  and 
propped  on  its  little  easel  the  picture  of  St.  Michael's  Mount, 
on  which  he  had  spent  his  last  minutes  in  that  room.     His 
harmonium   stood  open,  with  music-books  beside  it,  in  the 
window  beyond,  from  which,  when  he  sat  there,  he  looked 
out  on  the  Cathedral,  and  on  the  Green  Court,  the  playground 
of  the  school  over  whose  interest  he  watched  constantly. 


1"  See  "  Fireside  Homily,"  iv. 


>  i  1^-  * r^ H .^} h- '■^- .H  4-^^- ^i -^H >f'^^ r-f-.^^ Sv,^ u ^4^ 


Nil 


M  -.A.**,  'ja-s  ':i^':s4  \ 


1 871]  F2meraL  479 

Between  tlie  windows  was  a  collection  of  Greek  and  Roman 
Classics^  many  of  them  prize  volumes.  The  other  shelves 
were  laden  chiefly  with  theological  works,  the  gatherings 
of  his  lifetime — literature  of  other  kinds  having  found 
ample  place  in  other  parts  of  the  house. 

Amidst  these  memorials  of  his  life-long  toils  he  was  laid, 
until  the  earth  claimed  its  own. 

On  Tuesday,  the  17th  of  January,  the  day  of  the  funeral, 
no  sign  was  wanting  by  which  the  whole  city  could  show 
its  sympathy  with  the  sorrowing  family. 

The  Harmonic  Union,  which  regarded  him  as  its  founder, 
had  a  place  assigned  to  its  members  in  the  Cathedral.  The 
Corporation  of  the  City,  the  Volunteers  (whose  Chaplain  he 
was),  and  the  Clergy  of  the  diocese,  united  with  the  Cathedral 
body  and  his  family  in  the  procession  j  and  it  was  followed 
by  friends  from  various  parts,  among  whom  were  several 
Nonconformist  ministers,  and  by  fellow-citizens  in  unusual 
numbers,  from  the  Cathedral  to  St.  Martinis  Churchyard. 

The  pall  was  borne  by  the  Deans  of  Ely  and  Westminster, 
Captain  Brinckman,  M.P.,  and  Mr.  Tipping,  M.P.,  the  Rev. 
W.  G.  Humphry,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stoughton,  who  met  in 
the  Chapter  House  and  proceeded  thence  by  the  cloisters. 

The  former  part  of  the  service  took  place  in  the  nave  of 
the  Cathedral ;  and  there,  when  the  Bishop  of  Dover  (the 
Canon  in  residence)  had  finished  the  lesson,  the  Dean^s  hymn 
was  sung  : — 

"  Jesus,  when  I  fainting  lie, 
And  the  world  is  flitting  by, 

Hold  up  my  head  : 
When  the  cry  is,  '  Thou  must  die,' 
And  the  dread  hour  draweth  nigh, 
Stand  by  my  bed ! 

"  Jesus,  when  the  worst  is  o'er, 
And  they  bear  me  from  the  door. 

Meet  the  sorrowing  throng  : 
'  Weep  not ! '  let  the  moirrnei  hear, 
Widow's  woe  and  orphans'  rear 

Turn  into  song. 

"  Jesus  !  in  the  last  great  day, 
Come  Thou  down  and  touch  my  clay. 

Speak  the  word,  '  Arise  ! ' 
Friend  to  gladsome  friend  restore, 
Living,  praising  evermore. 

Above  the  skies  !  " 


48o  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

The  concluding'  portion  of  the  service  was  read  in  the 
churchyard  by  Archdeacon  Harrison ;  and  lastly  the  Dean's 
hymn  was  sung  : — 

"  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand, 

In  sparkling  raiment  bright, 
The  armies  of  the  ransom'd  saints 

Throng  up  the  steeps  of  light : 
'Tis  fiuish'd — all  is  finisli'd. 

Their  fight  with  death  and  sin ; 
Fling  open  wide  the  golden  gates 

And  let  the  victors  in. 

"  What  rush  of  Hallelujahs 

Fills  all  the  earth  and  sky  ! 
What  ringing  of  a  thousand  harps 

Bespeaks  the  triumph  nigh  ! 
0  day,  for  which  Creation 

And  all  its  tribes  were  made  ! 
0  joy,  for  all  its  fonner  woes 

A  thousandfold  repaid  ! 

"  0  then  what  raptured  greetings 

On  Canaan's  happy  shore, 
What  knitting  sever'd  friendships  up, 

Where  partings  are  no  more  ! 
Then  eyes  with  joy  shall  sparkle 

That  brimm'd  with  tears  of  late  ; 
Orphans  no  longer  fatherless. 

Nor  widows  desolate. 

"Bring  near  Thy  great  salvation 

Thou  Lamb  for  sinners  slain. 
Fill  up  the  roll  of  Thine  elect. 

Then  take  Thy  power  and  reign  : 
Appear,  Desire  of  nations, — ■ 

Thine  exiles  long  for  home : 
Show  in  the  heaven  Thy  promised  sign, 

Thou  Prince  and  Saviour,  come  ! " 


He  had  himself  expressed  a  wish  to  be  buried  in  St. 
Martin's  Churchyard.  The  spot  chosen  for  his  grave  is 
beneath  a  yew-tree  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  the  south  side 
of  the  path  which  leads  up  from  the  lich-gate  to  the  western 
door  of  the  ancient  church.  At  the  distance  of  about  half  a 
mile  to  the  west  the  towers  of  the  Cathedral  look  down  upon 
his  tomb. 

Among  his  papers  was  found  the  following  memorandum^ 
which,  of  course,  was  carefully  obeyed  : — 

"  When  I  am  gone,  and  a  tomb  is  to  be  put  up,  let  thei'e 


187 1]         Letters  fi'om  the  Abp.  of  Ca7iterb2iry.     481 

be,  besides   any  indication   of  wlio   is    lying   below,   tlaese 
words,  and  these  only  : — 

DEVERSORIUM  VIATOEIS  HIEROSOLYMAM  PROFICISCENTIS 
i.  e.  tlie  inn  of  a  traveller  on  bis  way  to  Jerusalem/^ 

A  day  or  two  before  the  funeraP,  the  following  letter 
arrived  at  Canterbury,  having  been  written  on  the  day  of 
his  decease  for  whose  eyes  it  was  intended. 

Fegm  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

"  Menione,  France,  Jan.  12,  1871. 

"  My  dear  Dean, — Mrs.  Tait  and  I  have  heard  with  much 
distress  that  you  have  not  been  well.  I  wi'ite  to  beg  you 
to  give  yourself  immediate  and  lengthened  rest.  Let  my 
example  be  a  warning  to  you.  But  I  suspect  your  literary 
work  has  been  a  greater  strain  than  my  necessary  occupa- 
tions of  business  in  London,  and  in  my  first  nine  months  of 
Lambeth  and  Kent.  I  earnestly  hope  that  we  shall  soon 
hear  that  you  are  quite  well.  If  you  have  never  read,  read 
at  once  Sir  B.  Brodie's  ^  Psychological  Eesearches,^  and  see 
what  amount  of  literary  work  he  thinks  the  human  frame 
can  stand.  Your  most  interesting  '  Riviera  '  reached  London 
the  day  we  started,  but  it  was  brought  out  to  us,  and  it  is  a 
great  help  to  us  along  the  coast.  I  think  you  are  severe  on 
St.  Remo,  which,  if  we  could  only  have  found  beach  walks, 
we  should  have  greatly  enjoyed.  We  stayed  there  a  month, 
and  had  many  most  lovely  drives.  Will  you  not  come  here 
and  refresh  yourself  at  once  ?  What  can  we  look  forward  to 
before  it  is  time  to  turn  our  faces  towards  England  ?  The 
fear  of  passing  through  France  oppresses  us.  The  French 
who  are  here  seem  resolved  not  to  believe  that  any  real  evil 
can  happen  to  Paris,  and  bear  as  good  a  heart  as  possible  on 
the  sad  state  of  things.  Would  that  the  love  of  Christ  had 
so  taken  possession  of  men^s  hearts  that  wars  were  impossible. 
Mrs.  Tait  sends  kindest  regards  to  you  and  Mrs.  Alford. 
''  Ever  most  truly  yours, 

"A.  C.  Cantuar.'' 


1  A  handsome  memorial  window  has  been  subscribed  for,  and  is  abont  to 
be  placed  in  Canterbury  Cathedral. 

I   i 


482  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XII. 

It  was  followed  by  another  letter  to  myself : — 
Feom  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

"  llentone,  France,  Jan.  18,  1871. 
"My  dear  Mrs.  Alfoed. — Last  week  I  wrote  to  your  dear 
liusband,  begging  liim  to  take  care  of  bis  valuable  health, 
and  to  give  himself  some  rest,  and  now  I  hear  his  Heavenly 
Father  has  taken  him  to  his  eternal  rest.  I  need  not  say 
that  our  hearts  bleed  for  you,  deprived  so  suddenly  of  one  so 
justly  loved  and  honoured  by  all,  and  who  was  to  you  every 
thing  the  world  can  give.  Deeply  do  we  grieve  also  for  the 
Church,  at  this  time  so  requiring  such  spirits  as  his  to  be  her 
aid.  I  feel  for  myself  I  have  lost  a  kind  fi'iend  and  helper. 
How  mysterious  that  I  should  be  living,  and  he  who  seemed 
so  full  of  health  and  vigour  when  you  came  to  visit  us  at 
Stonehouse,  should  be  gone.  But  his  Lord  had  need  of  him, 
and  has  called  him  elsewhere,  and  whilst  we  mourn  we  feel 
the  confidence  and  quiet  resignation  which  attends  the 
departure  of  one  of  Christ's  own  people.  May  the  great 
Comforter  pour  abundantly  into  your  heart  those  consola- 
tions which  have  sustained  so  many  Christian  widows  when 
their  loved  ones  have  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus.  I  will  not  write 
more,  and  would  not  have  ventured  to  intrude  on  your  grief 
but  for  the  real  affection  I  bore  for  your  husband,  and  my 
deep  sense  of  the  greatness  of  our  loss.  Mrs.  Tait  knows 
how  to  feel  for  you. 

"  Affectionately  yours, 

"A.  C.  Cantuar." 

Her  Majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to  send  through  the 
Dean  of  Windsor,  a  message  expressive  of  her  "  very  sincere 
sorrow  for  the  sudden  death  of  so  able  a  man,  and  one  whom 
she  had  seen  and  heard  so  recently,  and  of  her  sympathy 
with  the  family. -"^ 

I  cannot  but  record  with  a  feeling  of  gratitude  that  friends 
at  a  distance,  to  the  number  of  nearly  two  hundred,  were 
good  enough  in  that  season  of  sorrow  to  send  us  letters  of 
condolence. 


1 871]  So7ne  Characteristic  Traits.  483 

A  complete  review  of  Dean  Alford's  works  and  character 
will  not  be  expected  from  the  editor  of  this  volume.  Some 
of  his  contemporaries^  who  are  most  competent  to  speak  of 
him  as  a  commentator,  a  preacher,  and  a  poet,  have  recorded 
their  sentiments,  and  I  am  allowed  to  give  them  a  place 
here.  I  venture  to  preface  them  with  a  few  observations  on 
some  points  which  might  escape  the  notice  of  his  less  inti- 
mate friends. 

No  one  who  lived  with  him  could  fail  to  be  struck  by  his 
extreme  quickness  in  observation,  thought,  and  action.  He 
was  the  first  to  notice  any  alteration,  for  instance,  in  the 
furniture  of  a  room,  or  in  the  appearance  of  any  person 
whom  he  met  frequently,  the  first  to  read  any  inscription  by 
the  roadside.  The  gradual  developments  in  the  growth  of 
plants  in  the  garden,  the  changes  of  the  sky  seemed  to 
chronicle  themselves  in  his  mind  as  soon  as  they  occurred. 
Although  on  public  occasions,  as  when  he  was  in  the  pulpit, 
his  utterance  was  measured  and  deliberate ;  yet,  when  he  was 
quite  at  ease  in  his  family  circle,  there  was  something  un- 
usual in  the  rapidity  as  well  as  vivacity  with  which  he  would 
follow  up  a  train  of  thought  to  its  conclusion,  or  would 
recall  one  after  another  recollections  of  his  early  days  or 
travels.  At  dinner  parties,  even  in  his  own  house,  he  rarely 
appeared  to  lead  the  conversation.  A  certain  shyness  kept 
back  the  expression  of  his  ready  thoughts,  or  confined  it  to 
his  next  neighbour :  but  his  mind  knew  no  rest  ^;  and  when 
he  chose  to  speak  he  never  hesitated  for  a  v.  ord,  and  always 
by  a  peculiar  felicity  seemed  at  once  io  hit  on  the  word  or 


2  This  will  be  illustrated  by  the  following  remark  in  a  funeral  sermon 
preached  at  St.  Maxy's  Brediu,  in  Canterbiiry,  on  15th  Jan.,  1871,  by  tho  Rev. 
G.  B.  Lee  Warner : — 

"  If  I  might  be  permitted  to  point  out  a  fault  in  the  well-nigh  perfect 
character  of  our  departed  friend,  a  fault,  indeed,  which  was  but  a  virtue 
carried  to  excess,  I  would  say  it  consisted  in  his  habitual  forgetfulness  of  a 
precept  contained  in  those  very  New  Testament  Scriptures  which  were  so 
familiar  to  his  mind — a  precept,  too,  which  fell  from  the  lips  of  Christ  Him- 
self,  whom  he  so  endearingly  loved  and  served,  when  He  said  to  His  disciples 
of  old,  and  says  to  His  disciples  still,  '  Come  ye  yom-selves  apart,  and  rest 
awliile.'  So  averse  was  the  departed  Dean  from  all  idleness,  either  in 
spiritual  or  temporal  things,  that  in  veiy  truth  he  seemed  to  be,  and  I 
believe  really  was,  incapable  of  resting," 

I  i  2 


484  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  XTI. 

phrase  which  expressed  most  exactly  his  idea.  It  must  not 
be  concealed  that  his  sensiti\^eness  and  quickness  in  decision 
sometimes  led  to  hasty  action ;  but  this  was  checked  by 
the  natural  comprehensiveness  of  his  mind^  and  by  that 
genuine  humility  which  kept  him  always  ready  on  reflection 
to  see,  to  avow,  and  retrace  any  error.  If  in  his  early  days 
specially  he  was,  as  he  has  himself  stated,  apt  to  be  intolerant 
of  those  who  differed  widely  in)  opinion  from  him,  or  to  be 
impatient  of  dulness  or  inaccuracy,  yet  that  failing  disap- 
peared as  he  advanced  in  life,  insomuch  that  he  was  once 
publicly  pointed  out  by  a  determined  but  generous  opponent 
in  Convocation,  as  a  man  whom  it  was  impossible  to  pro- 
voke; and,  in  private,  instances  have  been  known  of  his 
apologizing  for  the  use  of  what  he  regarded  as  hasty  words 
to  persons  who  themselves  had  seen  nothing  unsuitable  in 
them. 

The  versatility  of  his  powers  has  been  abundantly  illus- 
trated in  this  Memoir.  In  his  home  it  showed  itself  by  the 
ready  and  sympathizing  interest  which  he  took  in  every 
occupation  of  every  member  of  his  family  :  sometimes  he 
would  anticipate,  even  to  an  inconvenient  extent,  the  deci- 
sion of  those  about  him,  in  what  they  regarded  as  their  own 
concerns ;  but  the  gentleness  of  his  character  always  dis- 
armed opposition. 

The  same  versatility  and  ready  sympathy  constituted, 
perhaps,  one  cause  of  the  general  exclusion  of  personal  and 
trifling  conversation  from  his  fireside.  I  should  not  ven- 
ture on  this  remark,  had  I  not  heard  it  from  visitors.  His 
interest  in  a  multitude  of  pursuits,  almost  always  supplied 
topics  of  talk,  without  wandering  into  detraction,  or  into 
over  warm  discussion,  and  never  allowed  stagnation. 

One  of  the  lesser  traits  of  character  manifested  in  his 
daily  life  was  his  punctuality,  a  quality  which  is  not  often 
found  in  combination  vdth  versatility,  poetical  temperament, 
and  extreme  readiness  to  enter  into  the  pursuits  of  other 
persons.  He  had  his  regular  hours  for  everything.  He 
did  not  allow  himself  to  be  taken  off  his  literary  work  in  the 
morning ;  the  business  of  the  study  was  very  rarely  indeed 


1871]  Deati  Me7'ivales  Remarks.  485 

suffered  to  encroach,  on  the  afternoon  out-of-doors  exercise ; 
and  the  evening  was  systematically  assigned  to  conversa- 
tion, fireside  amusements,  or  some  book  ''well  chosen,  and 
not  sullenly  perused  in  selfish  silence.''  No  meal  ever 
waited  for  his  presence.  He  was  usually  the  first  to  appear 
in  the  morning  at  our  eight  o'clock  family  prayers ;  and  the 
first  to  retire  to  his  study,  after  those  at  ten  in  the  evening. 
This  habit,  of  course,  had  the  efiect  of  leading  all  around 
him  into  similar  regularity.  Few  persons,  I  believe,  were 
so  punctual  in  keeping  an  appointment.  And  he  always 
seemed  to  do  this,  not  because  he  piqued  himself  on  the 
small  virtue  of  punctuality,  but  because  he  knew  by  expe- 
rience, that  this  was  the  only  way  of  getting  through  his 
numerous  occupations  every  day. 

In  these  remarks  I  have  purposely  confined  myself  almost 
to  his  domestic  life.  Even  in  it  there  are  many  other  points 
too  sacred  to  be  dwelt  upon.  I  will  now  give  place  to  the 
observations  of  others,  who  saw  him  in  difi'erent  spheres  of 
action.  Among  them,  the  first  place  is  due  to  a  letter 
written  at  my  request,  by  his  early  and  intimate  friend  Dean 
Merivale  : — 

"  It  is  not  every  one  who  would  wish  the  annals  of  his 
youthful  career  to  be  too  closely  scrutinized,  even  by  those 
in  whose  affectionate  sympathy  he  might  have  the  greatest 
confidence.  But  no  man,  as  far  as  I  have  known,  lived  a 
more  consistent  life  from  the  first  than  your  husband.  His 
strength  and  his  weaknesses  were  ever  the  same,  and  the 
deep  regard  and  respect  he  inspired  in  his  latter  years, 
showed  how  much  the  strength  overbalanced  the  weakness, 
in  the  estimation  of  all  who  knew  him  then,  just  as  it  did  in 
the  estimation  of  his  earlier  associates. 

"  It  was  with  great  regret,  and  some  little  shame,  that  I 
found  myself  obliged  to  answer  your  natural  application  for 
some  of  the  letters  I  have  received  from  him,  with  the  con- 
fession that  I  had  very  needlessly  allowed  myself  to  destroy 
almost  all  of  them.  Some  two  years  ago,  I  had  occasion  to 
make  a  removal  from  an  old  home,  and  on  such  occasions 
one's  impatience  sometimes  gets  the  upper  hand,  and  impels 


4^6  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

one  to  clear  away  old  books  and  papers  with  reckless  pi'e- 
cipitation.  I  am  distressed  now  to  think  that  among  the 
boxes  full  of  old  letters^  accumulations  undisturbed  for 
years,  which  I  then  sacrificed,  were,  I  should  think,  some 
hundreds  of  my  old  familiar  friend.  The  idea  of  being 
called  upon,  as  I  now  am,  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  memory 
of  one  younger,  and  as  I  always  thought  stronger,  than 
myself,  had  never  once  in  my  life  occurred  to  me :  and  I 
seemed  to  be  so  thoroughly  imbued  with  his  views  and 
sentiments  upon  all  the  subjects  which  ever  came  into 
discussion  between  us,  that  those  fugitive  records  of  them 
seemed  but  the  shadow  of  the  man  himself,  while  I  still 
possessed,  and  never  thought  of  the  time  when  I  should  no 
longer  possess,  the  substance  of  them  in  himself. 

"  One  packet,  indeed,  I  find  that  I  have  still  retained,  and 
this  I  have  had  a  melancholy  satisfaction  in  communicating 
to  you,  containing  as  it  does  a  history,  month  by  month,  or 
almost  week  by  week,  of  the  first  year  or  two  after  I  parted 
from  him  at  Cambridge;  when  he  was  first  entering  upon 
the  duties  of  the  profession  to  which  he  devoted  himself; 
when  he  was  laying  out  the  scheme  of  life  which  he  had  long 
before  contemplated,  and  crowning  it  with  the  wedded 
union  which  had  been,  as  you  know,  one  of  his  earliest 
aspirations.  You  have  found  little  or  nothing,  I  imagine,  in 
these  hasty  jottings  of  his  pen,  which  would  seem  fit  for 
general  perusal,  but  I  am  glad  to  know  that  there  is  much 
in  them  which  has  an  interest  for  yourself,  and  that  you 
do  not  grudge  me  the  share  I  had  in  his  confidence  and 
sympathy,  even  in  that  spring-tide  of  a  young  poet^s 
afiection. 

"  The  re-perusal  indeed  of  those  letters,  and  the  recollec- 
tions they  bring  back  to  me  of  my  familiar  converse  with 
your  husband,  during  those  early  years,  suggest  to  me 
what  was  perhaps  throughout  his  career  the  most  charac- 
teristic of  his  moral  features.  I  really  think  he  was  morally 
the  bravest  man  I  ever  knew.  His  perfect  purity  of  mind 
and  singleness  of  purpose,  seemed  to  give  him  a  confidence 
and  unobtrusive  self-respect  which  never  failed  him. 


1 871]  Dea7i  Merivales  Remarks.  487 

"  A  young  provincial^  fresli  from  the  very  quiet  domestic 
training  of  liis  father's  vicarage^  or  from  an  obscure  country 
school^  he  was  flung,  as  it  were,  into  the  amphitheatre  of 
the  society  of  Trinity  at  Cambridge,  among  hosts  of  young 
men  distinguished  for  self-assertion  no  less  than  for  ability, 
backed  by  every  advantage  of  social  recommendation.  He 
came  to  Cambridge  with  the  acquaintance  of  some  two  or 
three  fellow-pupils ;  after  a  couple  of  years  of  contented 
obscurity,  he  had  won  his  way  to  acceptance  and  respect 
among  the  most  popular  and  most  gifted  of  his  contempo- 
raries. Then,  as  throughout  his  career,  he  was  singularly 
remarkable  for  the  versatility  of  his  talents.  If  one  of  the 
friends  among  whom  he  was  then  held  in  estimation,  was 
more  eminently  gifted  in  verse,  another  plunged  more 
deeply  into  the  dark  profound  of  juvenile  metaphysics,  a 
third  promised  to  take  higher  rank  in  classics,  a  fourth  in 
mathematics,  Alford  at  least  could  hold  his  own  with  all  of 
them,  could  appreciate  all,  could  sympathize  with  all,  and 
could  gain  in  return  the  sympathy  of  all.  As  soon  as  he 
had  taken  his  degree,  not  without  considerable  Academic 
honours,  he  was  desirous,  like  many  young  men,  of  marry- 
ing. But,  unlike  most  young  men,  he  had  already  for  years 
fixed  upon  the  object  of  his  affections,  and  kept  it  steadily 
before  him.  When  he  intimated  his  wishes  to  his  father, 
he  was  met,  like  other  young  men,  with  hesitation  if  not 
remonstrance.  How  will  you  keep  a  wife  ?  I  will  take  a 
curacy  and  pupils.  The  arguments  pro  and  con  that  fol- 
lowed need  not  be  repeated.  At  least,  said  the  anxious 
parent,  stand  for  your  fellowship  :  achieve  me  that  honour: 
nuUam  patiere  re2oulsa'm.  Alford  continued  to  work  for  the 
fellowship,  which,  in  the  second  or  the  third  year  he  ob- 
tained, having  already  taken  orders,  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  father's  curacy.  He  then  sought  for  pupils 
and  obtained  them,  occupying  the  vicarage  from  which  his 
father  from  ill-health  was  absent,  and  prepared  to  carry  his 
long  cherished  object  into  immediate  effect.  Just  then,  fell 
vacant  the  small  college  living  of  Wymeswold,  so  small,  so 
obscure,   so   much,   for  a   long  period,   neglected,  that   no 


488  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XII. 

senior  fellow  cared  to  take  it ;  and  thereupon  he  married  his 
wife,  and  buried  himself  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years. 

"  Many  a  young  man  has  done  the  like,  and  has  not  shown 
himself  brave  therein,  but  foolish,  rash,  and  selfish.  But 
it  was  not  so  with  Alford.  He  justified,  I  would  say  he 
glorified,  his  act  by  the  unwavering  courage  and  confidence, 
and  the  unflagging  exertion  with  which  he  faced  and  battled 
with  the  consequences.  The  population  to  whom  he  minis- 
tered numbered  more  than  a  thousand,  and  there  were  few 
or  none  among  them  from  whom  he  could  derive  much  help 
in  his  ministrations.  The  habits  of  the  people  did  not  de- 
mand, nor  perhaps  did  the  usage  of  the  clerical  school  in 
which  he  had  been  trained  suggest,  the  constant  house-to- 
house  visitation  which  might  be  looked  for  in  rural  parishes 
in  these  days  ;  but  he  carried  on  his  three  full  services  single- 
handed  every  Sunday,  he  built  and  superintended  his 
schools,  he  almost  rebuilt  his  church,  and  his  earnestness 
and  evident  self-sacrifice  won  him  the  unbounded  love  of  his 
parishioners.  All  this  time  he  maintained  himself  and  an 
increasing  family  by  constant  tuition,  and  still  finding  time 
— for  I  never  saw  him  throw  himself  back  in  his  chair  and 
lounge  for  one  minute — for  writing  some  books  and  editing 
others,  for  skirmishing  in  reviews  and  lecturing  in  local 
centres.  For  some  years  he  was  a  periodical  Examiner  for 
the  University  of  London,  and  in  his  trips  there  found  op- 
portunities of  preaching  not  unfrequently  in  London  pulpits. 
His  great  gift  of  preaching,  which  one  friend  at  least  had 
marked  from  the  beginning,  at  last  attracted  the  attention  it 
deserved,  and  he  received  the  '  call '  to  the  pulpit  of  Quebec 
Chapel,  from  which  his  rapid  rise  in  his  profession,  and  the 
wide  extension  of  his  reputation  as  a  preacher,  are  dated. 
From  that  time,  relieved  entirely  from  the  work  of  tuition, 
and  in  a  great  degree  from  parochial  cares,  he  was  enabled 
to  centre  his  still  untired  energies  upon  his  edition  of  the 
Greek  Testament,  and  to  work  another,  and  perhaps  the 
richest  of  the  many  and  various  mines  of  talent,  which  he 
developed  successively  or  together. 

"  But  this,  too,  is  an  old  chapter  in  human  life.     Many 


1871]  Rev.  E.  T,  Vmighans  Remarks.  489 

otliers  before  him,  liaving  deliberately  thrown  themselves 
upon  their  own  resources,  have  worked  to  the  end  stead- 
fastly and  indefatigably,  and  made  the  best  of  the  difficulties 
in  which  they  had  involved  themselves.  Bat  this  was  not 
all  with  my  friend.  His  bravery  was  manifested  in  the  un- 
failing serenity  and  confidence  with  which  he  encountered 
his  work,  and  the  cheerful  undoubting  satisfaction  with  which 
he  looked  both  forward  and  backward.  I  never  heard  one 
murmur  from  him,  I  never  saw  him  despond,  I  never  knew 
him  look  about  anxiously  for  the  means  of  bettering  and 
advancing  himself.  His  mind  seemed  at  perfect  peace, 
as  one  well  assured  that  his  work  was  appointed  him,  and 
that  he  was  doing  it.  I  knew  many  of  his  troubles.  You 
knew  them  all,  and  I  appeal  to  you  with  confidence  for  the 
confirmation  of  what  I  say  regarding  him,  that  this  brave 
spirit  of  his,  anchored  in  domestic  love  and  religious  faith, 
never  quailed  before  any  of  them.  It  would  be  little,  per- 
haps, to  add  that  this  moral  fortitude  was  not  unaccompanied 
in  him  with  physical  coui-age  also,  of  which  I  could  give 
examples,  if  it  were  sufficiently  to  the  purpose.  But  the  side 
of  his  character  which  I  have  thus  illustrated  is  that  which  is 
brought  most  forcibly  before  me,  on  reviewing  the  years  of 
our  long-cherished  intimacy ;  and  the  little  tribute  I  am 
enabled  to  pay  him  will,  I  trust,  be  not  ungrateful  to  the 
friends  who  survive  him." 

The  following  passages  have  been  selected  from  an  article 
in  the  "  Contemporary  Review,"  by  his  early  friend,  the  Rev. 
E.  T.  Vaughan  :— 

"  Throughout  his  course  at  Cambridge  many  of  the  same 
qualities  which  marked  his  after-life  were  conspicuous — sim- 
plicity and  purity  of  character;  affection  both  warm  and 
lasting,  quick  sensibility,  unusual  powers  of  acquiring  and 
reproducing  knowledge ;  much  freshness  of  thought,  com- 
bined with  singular  felicity  of  expression,  whether  in  speech 
or  in  writing ;  not  a  little  of  that  undefiuable  something 
which  distinguishes  the  man  of  genius  from  the  merely  clever 
or  able  man.  His  versatility  was  wonderful.  Outdone  by 
many  of  his  competitors  in  each  department,  he   could  do 


490  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XIL 

more  things  very  well  than  any  of  them,  and  succeeded  ac- 
cordingly. His  father's  early  care  and  prayers  had  not  been 
in  vain.  His  inner  life  was  always  that  of  a  truly  religious 
man,  and  his  outer  life  morally  blameless. 

"  His  family  life  is  a  subject  almost  too  sacred  for  the  pen 
oven  of  an  intimate  friend.  I  can  only  say  that,  from  first  to 
last,  at  Wymeswold  or  at  Canterbury,  it  was  the  simplest, 
the  fullest  of  affection  abundantly  returned,  of  thought  and 
care  for  all  who  came  within  its  circle,  the  purest  from  all 
alloy  of  selfishness  or  worldliuess,  that  I  have  ever  known  or 
could  have  imagined. 

"  A  shrewd  and  rather  severe  judge  of  sermons  who  heard 
him  in  1855,  on  being  asked  what  he  thought,  said  drily,  that 
'  he  thought  it  spoke  well  for  London  that  such  sermons  should 
be  so  popular.'  This  critic  from  the  north  had  expected, 
doubtless,  to  hear  either  a  great  orator,  or  a  very  powerful 
and  original  thinker,  and  had  been  disappointed.  But  he 
had  felt  truly  that  the  sermons  had  a  peculiar  charm  for 
people  who  went  to  church,  not  for  an  intellectual  feast,  but 
to  gain  help  in  living  the  Christian  life ;  and  that  it  was  a 
token  for  good  that  the  people  who  went  for  this  purpose  were 
so  many.  Such  was,  indeed,  the  real  attraction  of  his  preach- 
ing. To  put  forth  clearly  and  fully  the  great  truths  on  which 
the  Christian  life  depends  for  its  existence  and  development; 
to  unfold  to  view  the  nature  and  practical  fruits  of  the  life 
itself;  to  appeal  earnestly  to  the  conscience  of  every  man  on 
the  question  whether  he  himself  was  in  it  in  reality ;  to  help 
and  encourage  those  who  were  struggling  to  begin  it,  and  to 
carry  it  on  to  its  completion ;  this,  and  this  only,  was  the 
preacher's  aim ;  but  truth  was  always  presented,  not  as  a 
formula,  but  as  a  living  reality,  freshly  apprehended.  Pre- 
vailing errors  of  practice,  the  fashionable  sins  and  selfishness 
of  private  and  public  life,  were  fearlessly  exposed,  with  manly 
warmth  and  earnestness  of  expostulation.  Eloquence  was 
never  sought,  but  the  unconscious  eloquence  which  clothes 
high  and  holy  thoughts  in  language  worthy  of  its  object  and 
its  aim  was  seldom  wanting.  Those  who  came  for  Christian 
iustruotiuu    and   guidaucc   never    went   away   disappointed. 


iSyi]  Rev.  E.  T.  Vaiigkans  Remarks.  491 

There  were  sermons  of  wliich  very  far  more  might  have  been 
justly  said.  But  so  much  as  this  was  true  of  his  sermons, 
always  and  everywhere^  in  country  churches,  in  London,  at 
Canterbury. 

"  The  work  which  he  did  in  making  those  critical  and  exege- 
tical  helps,  which  had  hitherto  been  the  property  in  England 
only  of  a  few  readers  of  German,  to  become  the  common  heri- 
tage of  all  educated  Englishmen,  was  a  work  which  no  other 
man  of  his  own  generation  could  have  achieved  equally  well,  or 
was  likely  to  have  attempted.  His  industry  was  wonderful, 
his  power  of  getting  through  work  such  as  I  have  never 
known  equalled.  No  man  could  sum  up  more  clearly  and 
concisely  the  conflicting  opinions  of  others ;  none  could,  on 
the  whole,  exercise  a  fairer  or  more  reasonable  judgment  be- 
tween them.  No  man  could  be  more  honestly  anxious  to 
arrive  at  truth ;  he  shirked  no  difficulty  which  he  felt ;  he 
kept  back  nothing  which  he  believed.  On  all  critical  and 
exegetical  questions  he  was  always  open  to  conviction,  and 
never  ashamed  to  confess  a  change  of  opinion. 

"  Above  all  he  knew  but  one  aim — to  approximate  as  nearly 
as  his  knowledge  would  allow  to  that  exposition  of  every 
passage  which  should  truly  express  the  mind  of  the  Divine 
Author.  He  dreaded  theories  of  inspiration;  but  no  man 
ever  lived  and  studied  under  a  deeper  conviction  that  every 
part  of  Scripture  was  given  by  Inspiration  of  God,  and 
expressed  a  wisdom  which  no  human  mind  could  exhaust. 
To  trace  out  the  truth  revealed  everywhere,  and  apply  it 
for  the  building  up  of  mind  and  heart  in  the  knowledge  and 
love  of  God,  was  the  one  object  with  which  he  worked  as 
expositor ;  even  as  his  one  aim  in  criticism  was  to  approach, 
as  nearly  as  the  available  evidence  would  allow,  to  the 
original  verity  of  God^s  word  written. 

"  We  read  now  with  a  solemn  feeling  of  its  entire  truth  the 
language  in  which,  nine  yeai'S  ago,  he  expressed  his  own 
desire  with  regard  to  the  success  of  the  great  work  of  his 
life,  then  just  completed. 

"  '  I  have  now  only  to  commend  to  my  gracious  God  and 
Father  this  feeble  attempt  to  explain  the  most  mysterious 


492  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

and  glorious  portion  of  His  revealed  Scriptures ;  and  witli  it 
this^  my  labour  of  now  eighteen  years^  herewith  completed. 
I  do  it  with  humble  thankfulness^  but  with  a  sense  of  utter 
weakness  before  the  power  of  His  word,  and  inability  to 
sound  the  depths  even  of  its  simplest  sentence.  May  He 
spare  the  hand  which  has  been  put  forward  to  touch  the 
Ark !  May  He,  for  Christ's  sake,  forgive  all  rashness,  all 
perverseness,  all  uncharitableness,  which  may  be  found  in 
this  book,  and  sanctify  it  to  the  use  of  His  Church ;  its  truths, 
if  any,  for  teaching  ;  its  manifold  defects,  for  warning.  My 
prayer  is  and  shall  be,  that  in  the  stir  and  labour  of  men  over 
His  word,  to  which  these  volumes  have  been  one  humble 
contribution,  others  may  arise  and  teach,  whose  labours  shall 
be  so  far  better  than  mine,  that  this  book  and  its  wi'iter  may 
ere  long  be  utterly  forgotten. 

AMHN  EPXOT  KTPIE  IHSOT.' 

"  Those  who  knew  the  Dean  will  feel  that  this  was  with  him 
the  language  of  simple  truth.  In  the  spirit  of  those  words, 
those  who  knew  him  best  are  sure  that  his  whole  life  had 
been  spent.  He  had  not  sought  wealth,  or  fame,  or  influence. 
If  any  of  them  were  given,  he  accepted  them  thankfully,  and 
enjoyed  them  fearlessly  as  a  gift  from  God.  But  they  were 
not  his  object,  whether  in  the  pulpit  or  in  the  study.  He 
aimed  to  know  God's  truth  for  himself,  to  speak  it  to  others, 
and  to  live  it  faithfully.  And  as  he  lived,  so  in  the  appointed 
time  he  has  died — ui  the  simplicity  of  a  child-like  faith.  His 
appointed  work  was  done,  aud  he  lay  down  to  rest  like  the 
child  at  evening.'' 

The  pages  of  this  Memoir  contain  too  little  reference  to 
one  of  my  husband's  most  intimate  friends.  Dean  Stanley. 
But  I  am  glad  to  insert  here  the  following  extracts  from 
his  article  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review "  for  February, 
1871  :— 

"  Of  all  the  more  intellectual  ecclesiastics  of  our  time,  he 
was  the  most  active  and  indefatigable  workman.  His  study 
was  literally  an  officina  lihrorum.  The  handicraft  which  he 
possessed  in  so  many  other  branches — mechanical,  artistic, 
musical — reached  its  culminating  point  in  his  literary  achieve- 


1871J  Dean  Stanley  s  Remarks.  493 

ments.  Others^  no  doubts  have  written;,  in  our  time,  more 
profoundly,  more  eloquently,  more  philosopliically,  but  we 
doubt  whether  any  of  his  ecclesiastical  contemporaries  rivalled 
Henry  Alford  in  the  amount  of  genuine  labour  undertaken. 
Many  objections,  both  general  and  in  detail,  may  be  brought 
against  his  edition  of  the  Greek  Testament.  But  its  great 
merit  is,  that  it  was  done  at  all ;  and,  being  done,  although 
far  from  reaching  the  idea  of  such  a  work,  and  inferior  in 
execution  and  conception  to  that  which  is  displayed  in  parti- 
cular portions  of  the  sacred  writings  as  edited  by  others,  it 
remains  confessedly  the  best  that  exists  in  English  of  the 
whole  volume  of  the  New  Testament.  To  have  done  this,  at 
once  elevated  its  author  to  a  high  rank  amongst  the  religious 
teachers  of  his  country.  It  is  premature  to  speak  of  his  work 
on  the  Old  Testament.  It  was  when  it  became  apparent  to 
him  that,  in  all  probability,  his  ecclesiastical  life  was  likely 
to  run  on  in  the  same  quiet  channel  as  it  had  run  heretofore, 
that  ho  undertook  to  devote  his  remaining  years  to  do  for 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures  what  he  had  done  for  the  Greek.  It 
was  a  gigantic  undertaking  for  a  man  already  past  the  middle 
term  of  his  existence ;  but  he  threw  himself  into  it  as  heartily 
and  as  energetically  as  if  he  had  been  a  young  man  of  five 
and  twenty.  And  we  cannot  but  believe,  from  the  spirit  in 
which  he  entered  upon  it,  that  his  execution  of  the  task 
would,  far  more  than  any  other  exegetical  attempt  of  a  like 
kind  in  England,  have  faced  the  difficulties  of  the  sacred 
text,  '  divided  rightly  ^  the  word  of  truth,  illuminated  the 
dark  places  of  the  venerable  records  of  the  chosen  people. 

'^  He  was  a  ''  scholar  ^  in  the  sense  of  constantly  learning. 
Few  ecclesiastical  writers  of  our  time  have  gone  more  steadily 
forward  in  a  wider  appreciation  of  Christian  truth ;  and  few 
high  dignitaries  have  obtained  a  clearer  view  of  the  duty  of 
placing  the  Church  on  a  truly  national  basis.  His  relations 
to  the  Nonconformists  were  such  as  would  have  led  as  much 
as  any  other  single  cause  to  the  mitigation  of  the  'watchful 
jealousy  ^  with  which  so  many  even  of  the  best  members  of 
the  Nonconformist  Churches  have  of  late  years  regarded 
the   Church  of  which    Dean    Alford  was    unquestionably  a 


494  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  XII. 

faitliful  representative^   at   once    by  his  tolerance    and   his 
culture. 

"  The  gathering  of  distinguished  Nonconformist  ministers 
round  his  grave,  and  the  genuine  expressions  of  sympathy 
that  his  death  has  called  forth,  are  cheering  pledges  that  his 
kindly  relations  to  them  were  fully  appreciated,  and  will  bear 
a  lasting  fruit. 

"  One  of  the  latest  projects  of  his  life  was  one  which 
singularly  united  his  ecclesiastical  predilections  and  his 
Biblical  studies.  It  may  truly  be  said  that  to  him,  more 
than  to  any  one  man,  may  be  traced  the  scheme  for  the 
Revision  of  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Scriptures.  Ho 
advocated  it  whilst  it  was  still  deemed  rash  and  premature. 
He  pressed  it  forward  the  moment  that  others  had  taken  it 
up.  He  gave  himself  to  it  with  all  his  energy  when  its 
necessity  was  recognized.  He  was,  perhaps,  of  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Company  for  the  Revision  of  the  New  Testament 
translation,  the  one  who  could  least  be  spared. 

"  It  would  be  taking  an  inadequate  view  of  Dean  Alford^s 
literary  career,  were  we  to  omit  that  sphere  with  which  it 
began — his  poetry.  It  may  be  that  there  will  not  bo  many 
of  his  poems,  graceful  as  they  are,  which  will  live  beyond 
the  present  age,  yet  it  is  no  hght  service  to  have  contributed 
at  least  one  hymn  which  has  almost  become  the  Baptismal 
Canticle  of  the  English  Church. 

"And  it  was  but  a  just  tribute  to  his  poetic  fire  that  when 
he  was  buried  amidst  the  mourning  of  the  whole  population 
of  Canterbury,  two  hymns  were  selected  from  his  volume, 
not  unworthy  of  the  stately  pile  in  which  his  obsequies  were 
celebrated,  or  of  the  sacred  hill  of  St.  Martin's  Churchyard, 
whence,  from  beneath  the  venerable  yew-tree,  his  grave 
looks  out  on  that  historic  prospect  which  he  knew  so  well.'' 

The  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Bristol  (Dr.  Ellicott)  has 
obliged  me  greatly  by  writing  (December,  1872)  the  following 
letter  for  this  Memoir  : — 

"  You  have  done  me  the  kindness  and  honour  of  express- 
ing a  wish  that  I  should  add  to  your  life  of  my  dear  and 
valued  friend  some  few  remarks  on  the  nature  and  influence 


1 871]  Bishop  Ellicotfs  Remarks.  495 

of  his  tlieologioal  labours^  and  especially  of  his  great  work, 
the  '  Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testament.' 

"  I  do  so  very  gladly.  I  must,  however,  ask  you  to  receive 
these  pages  rather  as  a  friend's  criticism  on  a  completed 
work  than  as  a  contribution  to  the  history  of  its  progress. 
The  reason  for  my  asking  you  thus  to  regard  this  letter  may 
be  soon  stated.  Our  dear  friend  and  I  were  both  very  hard- 
working and  busy  men,  and  had  but  little  time  for  corre- 
spondence. The  notes  that  passed  between  us  were  for  the 
most  part  brief  and  hurried,  and  do  not  in  any  way  tend  to 
illustrate  the  literary  history  of  his  Greek  Testament.  We 
conversed  much  on  our  common  subject  when  we  met,  but 
wrote  on  it  hardly  anything. 

"  Thus,  from  very  want  of  materials,  my  comments  must, 
for  the  most  part,  take  the  form  of  estimate  and  criticism. 
Yet  I  can  make  a  humble  contribution  to  the  history  of  the 
first  volume  from  the  relation  in  which  I  stood  to  it  soon 
after  its  appearance.  It  is  now  with  very  mingled  feelings 
that  I  notice  what  has,  I  have  no  doubt,  been  mentioned  in 
the  body  of  your  volume  ^,  that  my  first  connexion  with  your 
dear  husband's  great  work  was  as  a  hostile  reviewer  in  the 
*  Christian  Remembrancer'  some  twenty  or  more  years  ago. 
I  write  this  with  strangely  mingled  feelings,  as,  on  the  one 
hand,  I  dare  not  deny  that  my  stand-point  (as  the  phrase  is) 
remains  now  what  it  was  then ;  and  yet,  on  the  other,  it  is  a 
very  pain  to  remember  the  crudities  and  ungentle  comments 
that  disfigured  that  article.  My  stand-point  was  reverence 
for  what  is  called  Catholic  interpretation,  combined  with  a 
readiness  to  subject  that  sort  of  received  interpretation  to 
the  established  rules  and  principles  of  grammatical  criticism. 
The  Dean's — so  far  as  I  then  understood  it,  and  as,  perhaps, 
it  substantially  remained  to  the  very  end — was  diSerent. 
He  entered  fearlessly  into  the  critical  field,  perhaps,  even 
with  a  slight  bias  against  what  was  merely  received  and 
patristic ;  he  warmly  denounced  every  attempt  to  gloss  over 
difficulties  in  harmony ;  he  paid  no  greater  heed  to  any  inter- 


Pago  205. 


49^  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

pretation,"  however  time-honoured^  than  its  simple  merits 
required ;  he  considered  himself  free  to  use  all  the  material 
that  foreign  criticism  had  collected,  and,  in  his  earlier 
volumes,  was  sometimes  led,  bj  his  sympathy  with  the 
results  arrived  at,  to  adopt  the  arrangement  and  exegetical 
details  of  the  distinguished  modern  writers  whom  he  prin- 
cipally consulted.  Everything,  however,  like  his  own  gentle 
and  noble  nature,  was  patent  and  undisguised.  He  knew 
none  of  those  mean  and  despicable  arts  by  which  the  use  of 
another^s  labours  can  be  disguised,  and  a  show  and  semblance 
of  research  put  forward,  which  really  goes  no  farther  than 
the  volumes  that  are  suj)plying  the  collected  material.  No, 
not  a  trace  of  such  ignoble  manijDulation  of  results  and 
references  can  be  found  in  any  part  of  his  great  work.  He 
used  others  freely,  but  it  was  ever  so  plainly  and  clearly,  that 
no  doubt  could  have  been  left  on  any  mind  of  the  liberty 
which  he  claimed  for  himself  and  acted  on.  He  did,  how- 
ever, thus  leave  himself  open  to  criticism,  and  the  more  so 
as  in  his  early  days  as  an  interpreter  he  was  to  some  extent 
under  the  influence  of  two  or  three  leading  interpreters,  such 
as  De  Wette  and  Meyer,  whose  views  at  the  time  certainly 
were  not  always  in  harmony  with  the  general  current  of 
English  theological  opinion.  As  time  went  on,  he  soon  felt 
his  own  great  powers,  and  discussed  on  equal  terms  with 
these  guides  of  early  days  each  passage  as  it  came  before 
him,  and  showed  his  real  mastery  over  the  materials  or 
opinions  which  he  had  collected.  But  it  seemed  to  be  other- 
wise at  the  time  of  which  I  am  now  speaking.  My  friend 
replied  to  my  article  in  a  temperate  and  well-written 
pamphlet,  which,  I  well  remember,  made  me  desire  to  know 
personally  a  man  who  could  write  with  such  ability,  as  well 
as  kindness  of  tone,  in  answer  to  an  unfriendly  criticism.  A 
year  or  two  after  this  time  I  had  the  happiness  of  becoming 
acquainted^  with  my  generous  antagonist.  He  was  then  in 
Hamilton  Terrace,  St.  John^s  Wood,  with  a  genial  library  of 
books  round  him,  working  steadily  at  his  Commentary,  and 


page  245. 


iSyi]  Bishop  Ellicotfs  Remarks.  497 

adding  weekly  to  his  reputation  as  an  interpreter  by  his  lec- 
tures in  Quebec  Chapel^ — all  which  you  will^  I  am  sure,  have 
fully  mentioned  elsewhere.  I  will,  however,  venture  to  add 
my  remembrance  of  one  of  those  lectures,  as  illustrating  his 
power  as  an  interpreter.  There  was  a  large  and  interested 
audience,  many  with  Greek  Testaments,  and  all  evidently 
gathered  together  to  be  instructed.  The  lecture  was  a 
model  of  pulpit  exegesis.  It  was  extempore,  but  so  clear  in 
diction  and  so  happy  in  expression,  that  if  the  whole  had 
been  taken  down  verbatim  hardly  a  word  would  have  had  to 
be  altered.  What  struck  me  particularly  was  the  easy  and 
connected  flow  of  the  address.  Special  points  were  noticed, 
difficulties  fairly  met,  differing  interpretations  lightly  but 
sufficiently  noticed;  but  all  flowed  onward  easily  and  lim- 
pidly.  The  mastery  over  the  materials  was  complete,  and 
the  power  of  placing  the  mind  of  the  sacred  writer  before  the 
audience  such,  as  I  believe,  has  never  since  been  equalled. 
Most  expositors  in  their  oral  addresses  make  you  feel  that 
you  are  but  hearing,  instead  of  reading,  notes.  While  the 
verse  lasts  the  interest  is  maintained,  but  it  closes  with  the 
verse,  and  has  to  be  called  out  anew  when  another  verse  or 
period  is  commenced.  In  fact,  the  usual  expository  discourse 
flows  on  by  jets,  instead  of  forming  a  regular  and  continuous 
stream,  and  attention  becomes  proportionately  fatigued. 
My  friend^s  lecture  was  in  every  respect  the  reverse. 
Whether  it  was  by  his  quick  perception  of  the  general  scope 
as  indicated  by  the  language  of  the  original,  or  by  some 
delicate  and  subtle  sympathy  with  the  mind  of  the  passage, 
or  whether,  again,  it  was  the  simple  tact  of  the  practised 
interpreter,  it  is,  perhaps,  not  easy  to  say ;  but  the  fact  and 
results  were  clear  enough  :  all  were  sorry  when  the  lecture 
was  over.  The  student  portion  of  the  audience  closed  their 
Greek  Testaments,  I  can  well  believe,  with  the  inward  reso- 
lution of  returning ;  the  general  hearers  were  conscious  of 
an  interest  in  Scripture  diiferent  to  what  they  had  felt 
before ;  the  few  ci'itics  or  strangers  that  the  reputation  of  the 
lecturer  had  attracted  left  the  church  with  the  difficult  ques- 
tion uppermost, — What,  after  all,  was  it  that  made  the  lec- 

K    k 


49^  Life  of  Dean  A  If ord.  [Chap.  XII. 

ture  so  tliorouglily  interesting,  so  popular  in  the  best  sense 
of  tlie  word  ?  The  answer^  perhaps,  may  not  always  have 
been  rightly  given,  but  it  was  this — that  the  lecturer 
had  the  rare  gift  of  the  '  exegetical  sense/  as  our  German 
friends  would  say,  that  gift  which,  it  may  be,  was  found  in 
an  eminent  degree  in  those  whom  the  writers  of  the  New 
Testament  speak  of  as  'prophets/ — men  with  the  gift  of 
setting  forth  the  full  mind  of  Scripture,  and  of  revealing  its 
hidden  and  deeper  meanings.  The  two  travellers  to  Emmaus 
were  permitted  to  realize  this  in  its  highest  and  holiest  form. 
*'  Not  long  after  this  I  had  the  happiness  of  being  asso- 
ciated with  my  friend  in  a  work  that,  if  I  remember  right, 
extended  over  some  three  years — a  revision  of  the  '  Autho- 
rized Version  of  St.  John^s  Gospel,  and  six  or  seven  of  St. 
Paulas  Epistles.' '"  The  work  has  still  some  little  circulation 
under  the  title  of  the  *  Revision  of  the  Five  Clergymen.''  It 
was  the  first  fruits  of  that  which  is  now  being  done  more 
completely,  and  was  the  one  work  which  predisposed  the 
conservative  m'ni  of  Bible-reading  Englishmen  to  tolerate 
the  idea  of  a  new  revision.  In  this  work  all  the  high  quali- 
ties of  the  Dean's  mind  (he  was  called  to  the  office  he  so 
worthily  filled  while  the  work  was  in  progress)  were  very 
conspicuous.  If  any  of  us  imparted  any  thing  to  him  it  was, 
perhaps,  more  punctilious  accuracy  in  grammar;  what  he 
imparted  to  us  was  something  much  more  subtle.  It  was 
again  that  happy  exegetical  instinct,  to  which  I  have  already 
alluded,  that  sympathy  with  the  continuous  mind  of  the 
passage,  so  hard  to  define  in  words,  but  so  readily  accepted 
and  welcomed  whenever  manifested.  He  was  thus  a  con- 
tributor to  the  work  of  an  importance  which,  I  think,  fully 
justifies  my  saying  that  without  him  the  revision  would  not 
have  been  what  it  is,  nor  would  the  work  have  met  with  the 
reception  that  was  given  to  it  by  students  both  at  home  and 
abroad.  It  is  pleasant  to  linger  in  memory  over  those  days, 
— our   early  efibrts,    our  difficulties,  our   experiences,  and 


See  page  262, 


iSyi]  Bishop  Ellicott's  Remarks.  499 

especially  our  good-humoured  but  vigorous  conflicts  when 
it  was  thought  that  much  turned  on  the  proper  rendering  of 
a  particle^  or  when  the  subject  matter  was  the  retention  or 
extrusion  of  some  poor  innocent  '  has '  or  '  have '  in  the  ever- 
recurring  question  of  the  best  mode  of  rendei-ing  the  Greek 
aorist ;  and  then^  at  last,  the  subsidence  of  the  motiis  animo- 
Tum  by  the  sprinkling  of  a  little  common  sense,  and  by  an 
appeal  from  very  exhaustion  to  that  safe  arbiter,  English 
idiom,  and  English  usage.  All  these  things  it  is  pleasant  to 
recall,  and  in  any  criticism  on  the  Dean's  great  work,  it  is, 
at  any  rate,  necessary  to  allude  to  them,  as  it  can  hardly  be 
doubted  that  our  critical  and  grammatical  discussions  exer- 
cised considerable  influence  on  our  friend's  own  work.  It 
may  be  clearly  seen  in  the  latter  half  of  his  Oommentaiy. 
The  first  and  second  volumes  had  been  written  before  we 
commenced  our  revision ;  and  in  them  the  grammatical  ele- 
ment -will  be  found  more  sparingly  introduced.  The  Dean 
was  from  the  first  a  thoroughly  good  scholar ;  but,  if  I  may 
so  express  myself,  he  was  so,  rather  by  instinct  than  by  direct 
study  of  details.  His  early  interpretations  are  probably  not 
less  trustworthy  than  those  in  his  later  volumes,  but  in  the 
first  and  second  volumes  there  is  not  the  same  force  and  cer- 
titude of  statement  on  the  grammatical  bearings  of  a  passage 
that  we  find  in  the  volumes  that  followed.  Our  frequent 
discussions  did  us  all  good,  and  especially  our  quick  and 
clever  colleague.  He  entered,  I  remember  well,  with  the 
keenest  interest  into  the  delicacies  of  grammatical  criticism. 
His  fine  perception  made  him  appreciate  distinctions,  and 
his  clearness  of  thought  enabled  him  to  express  them 
with  ease  and  precision.  He  became  soon  more  than  a 
match  for  most  of  us  in  om*  gentle  encounters,  and  he  ac- 
quired, with  characteristic  rapidity,  that  technical  knowledge 
which  up  to  the  time  he  had  not  fully  acquired,  but  for  which 
he  evidently  had  always  a  natural  aptitude. 

'^  I  am  now  brought  to  the  consideration  of  his  Commen- 
tary as  a  whole;    and,    in   obedience   to  your   wishes,  will 
endeavour  to  form  some  estimate  of  the  characteristics  of 
those   honourable   and  honoured  labours.      My   comments 
K  k  2 


500  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or  d.  [Chap.  XII. 

must    be    threefold, — on    the    Introductions,    the    Textual 
Criticism,  and  the  Notes. 

^'  The  great  vakie  of  the  Introductions,  or  Prolegomena, 
is  in  the  digested  information  they  abundantly  supply  to  the 
student.  Every  view  taken  by  any  interpreter  of  eminence 
is  noticed  cleai'ly  and  succinctly,  and  in  several  cases — as  for 
instance  in  the  Introductions  to  the  Ephesians  and  to  the 
Pastoral  Epistles — criticized  with  great  power  and  ability. 
In  both  cases  the  doubts  that  have  been  entertained  as  to 
the  authorship  of  the  Epistles  in  question  are  disposed  of  in 
the  most  clear  and  convincing  way.  If  I  could  wish  anything 
otherwise  in  these  Introductions,  it  would  be  that  they  had 
been  written  in  a  more  continuous  style.  The  division  of 
each  chapter  into  several  sections,  rather  breaks  the  con- 
tinuity of  thought,  which,  in  critical  estimates  such  as  these 
Introductions  really  are,  proves  always  so  welcome  to  the 
general  reader.  Still  this  may  be  certainly  said,  that  no 
student  will  ever  refer  to  this  part  of  the  work  without  find- 
ing every  point  that  has  been  raised,  whether  as  to  the  scope, 
characteristics,  ago,  or  style,  of  the  writing,  discussed  with 
that  clearness  and  perfect  candour  and  impartiality  which 
mark  everything  that  the  Dean  wrote.  He  was  sometimes, 
I  have  ventured  to  think,  a  little  hard  on  some  systems  of 
Scripture  criticism,  such,  for  instance,  as  the  system  of  the 
Gospel  harmonists,  but  the  seeming  hardness  was  but  the 
expression  of  his  own  honest  aversion  to  anything  that 
seemed  to  him  to  be  uncandid  or  evasive.  His  thoroughly 
honest  mind  could  not  tolerate  anything  that  in  the  faintest 
degree  bore  even  the  appearance  of  pious  fraud  or  conscious 
subterfuge. 

'^  On  the  Text  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  speak.  The  work 
was  commenced  at  a  time  when  our  critical  aids  were  much 
fewer  than  they  now  are,  and  when  the  important  modern 
principle  of  laying  great  weight  on  the  convergence  of 
representative  testimonies  was  very  imperfectly  recognized. 
Though  the  Dean  ever  kept  his  work,  in  its  successive  editions, 
fully  lip  to  the  latest  standard,  still,  in  a  matter  where  sub- 
jective considerations  necessarily  enter  so  largely,  as  they 


I S  7 1 ]  Bishop  EUicott 's  Remarks.  5 o  i 

certainly  do  iu  tlie  construction  of  Text^  it  is  always  difficult 
to  modify  the  leading  principles  which  were  originally  fol- 
lowed. These  principles,  as  the  Dean's  excellent  chapter  on 
the  subject  in  his  first  volume  very  clearly  shows,  were  the 
best  and  most  approved  at  the  time  he  wrote;  but  since  that 
time  wider  and  more  accurate  information  has  tended  to 
modify  some  of  those  principles,  and  to  suggest  altered 
groupings  of  authorities.  The  result  is,  that  the  Text  is 
thoroughly  good,  but  yet  not  likely  to  become  a  standard 
text.  The  service,  however,  that  the  Dean  has  rendered  to 
the  general  cause  of  textual  criticism  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated. At  a  time  v/hen  but  little  interest  was  felt  in  the 
subject,  he  helped  greatly  to  popularize  the  study  of  critical 
authorities.  He  supplied  the  student,  especially  in  his  later 
editions  and  later  volumes,  with  short  clear  statements  of 
the  principle  on  which  one  reading  had  been  preferred  to 
others.  He  never  fails  to  exhibit  tact  in  the  subtle  question 
of  the  exact  worth,  in  any  given  case,  of  internal  evidence, 
and  always  shows  a  freedom  from  critical  bias  that  has,  per- 
haps, never  been  exceeded  by  any  critic  of  recent  times.  His 
indirect  effect  on  textual  criticism  in  this  country  has  thus 
been  very  great;  and  has,  perhaps,  never  yet  been  suffi- 
ciently acknowledged. 

'^  Still  his  present  and  future  fame  both  is  and  will  be  con- 
nected with  his  Notes  and  Exegesis.  Here  the  fine  qualities  of 
his  mind,  his  quickness,  keenness  of  perception,  interpretative 
instinct,  lucidity,  and  singular  fairness,  exhibit  themselves 
to  the  greatest  possible  advantage.  Barely,  if  ever,  does  he 
fail  to  place  before  the  reader  the  exact  difficulties  of  the 
case,  and  the  true  worth  of  the  different  principles  of  inter- 
pretation. He  never  leaves  any  doubt  as  to  the  view  he 
himself  takes,  and  he  takes  it  on  grounds  and  evidence 
which  it  will  always  be  found  very  difficult  to  shake.  If  he 
does  not  convince,  he  yet  never  fails  to  make  the  reader 
pause,  and  often  pause  long,  before  he  rejects  the  view 
ultimately  placed  before  him.  There  is  no  special  pleading, 
no  latent  principle  at  work,  no  theological  bias  (some,  per- 
hap.y,  may  wish  sometimes  that  this  had  been  otherwise),  no 


502  Life  of  Dea7i  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XII. 

resei've  of  any  kind;  the  reader  feels  that  he  is  taken  into 
fullest  confidence,  and  is  under  a  thoroughly  impartial  guid- 
ance. He  may  in  the  sequel  sometimes  fail  to  be  satisfied, 
nay,  from  the  very  fairness  with  which  the  case  is  stated, 
may  adopt  some  opposed  view  to  that  of  his  instructive  guide, 
but,  if  he  does  so,  it  will  always  be  with  a  sense  of  gratitude 
to  a  winter  who  so  well  supplies  the  very  materials  for  the 
divergence  in  judgment. 

"  Of  the  many  merits  of  these  Notes  perhaps  one  of  the 
gi-eatest  is  the  clear  view  they  give  the  student  of  the  con- 
nexion of  the  inspired  thought,  especially  in  the  epistolary  por- 
tion of  the  New  Testament.  This  it  will  be  observed  is  done 
in  two  ways, — first,  by  giving  (after  the  manner  of  De  Wette), 
before  each  group  of  connected  verses,  a  summary  of  their 
substance ;  secondly,  by  drawing  out  with  careful  precision 
the  meaning  of  the  connecting  particles.  The  student  is 
thus  enabled  to  follow  as  it  were  the  mind  of  the  sacred 
writer,  and  is  inured  to  the  first  duty  of  every  earnest  inter- 
preter, viz.  that  of  weighing  each  passage  in  reference  to  its 
context,  and  allowing  that  context  to  give  its  proper  hue  of 
meaning  to  the  inspired  words.  Amid  the  many  great  ser- 
vices the  Dean  has  rendered  to  the  cause  to  which  he  devoted 
so  many  years  of  his  valued  life,  I  rate  none  higher  than  the 
assistance  he  has  afforded  to  the  student  in  the  matter  of 
contextual  interpretation.  His  Commentary  on  the  Hebrews, 
the  fullest  and,  perhaps,  in  some  respects,  the  best  portion  of 
his  great  work,  is  a  lasting  monument  of  his  success  in 
unfolding  the  mind  and  reasoning  of  his  author.  I  have 
alluded  to  one  portion  of  the  fourth  volume,  but  I  cannot 
close  these  remarks  without  specially  calling  attention  to 
one  other  portion  of  that  volume  which  has  not,  I  think,  been 
sufiiciently  noticed  by  critics — I  refer  to  the  Commentary  on 
the  Apocalypse.  This  is  a  noble  close  to  eighteen  years  of 
continuous  labour.  It  reflects  all  the  high  qualities  of  the 
mind  of  the  interpreter,  perhaps  even  more  clearly  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  whole  work.  The  clearness,  candour, 
and  wise  simplicity  of  the  Notes ;  the  fulness  and  complete- 
ness of  the  Introduction  ;   and    the   judicial  calmness  with 


1 871]  Bishop  Ellicotfs  Remarks.  503 

■which  the  various  systems  of  interpretation  are  discussed, 
show  clearly  enough  that  this  was  a  true  labour  of  love.  I 
do  sincerely  trust  now  that  the  Revelation  forms  a  part  of 
our  Lectionary,  that  this  closing  portion  of  the  work  will 
receive  more  attention  than  it  has  yet  received.  There  are 
portions  in  the  Introduction  of  truest  Christian  eloquence, 
and  the  tender  and  pathetic  words  with  which  the  eighth 
chapter  of  that  Introduction  closes,  can  never  be  read  by  any 
gentle  and  sensitive  reader  without  the  feeling  that  they 
represent  what  should  ever  be  the  aspirations  of  the  true 
Christian  scholar,  and  form  a  simple  yet  befitting  epilogue 
to  a  really  great  and  genuinely  noble  work. 

''  My  last  remembrances  of  my  dear  friend  are  those  con- 
nected with  his  share  in  the  Revision  of  the  Authorized 
Version  of  the  New  Testament  that  is  now  going  on.  Long  ^ 
and  eagerly  had  he  looked  forward  to  that  work ;  greatly 
had  he  prepared  the  way  for  it ;  steadily  had  he  advocated 
it.  At  last  he  was  permitted  to  see  it  in  progress,  and  himself 
to  take  a  leading  part  in  it.  From  the  first  day  the  New 
Testament  Company  met  to  the  lasV  sad  morning,  when  he 
gently  and  resignedly  gathered  his  books  together,  and  told 
us  that  '  the  doctors  had  forbidden  his  continuance  of  the 
work,^  he  never  was  absent  from  one  of  our  meetings. 
Always  ready  in  suggestion,  and  yet  always  as  ready  to 
point  out  any  objection  that  could  be  urged  even  against 
what  he  himself  might  have  put  forward;  quick  in  percep- 
tion, felicitous  in  expression,  subtle  in  discrimination,  with 
all  the  wisdom  acquired  from  long  practice,  and  that  know- 
ledge which  only  experience  can  give,  he  was  felt  by  us  all 
to  be  a  colleague  and  helper  of  the  highest  order,  and  he 
was  honoured  and  valued,  and — let  me  not  fail  to  add— 
loved  as  he  deserved  to  be.  Never  was  man  more  tenderly 
regretted  by  those  with  whom  he  worked ;  and  when,  at  our 
first  meeting  after  he  had  been  called  to  rest  from  his  labours, 
the  Collect  for  All   Saints^  Day  was   added  to  our  simple 


«  See  pages  121,  412,  425,  439,  440,  447. 
7  See  pages  465,  466, 


504  Life  of  Deim  A  ford.  [Chap.  XII. 

prayers,  never  were  its  toucliing  words  more  deeply  felt  by 
those  tliat  heard  them  than  by  us  in  the  Jerusalem  Chamber 
that  sorrowful  day. 

"  I  have  now,  dear  Mrs.  Alford,  completed,  as  well  as  I 
have  been  able,  the  estimate  and  criticism  that  you,  in  your 
kindness,  have  wished  me  to  attempt.  I  wish  from  my  heart 
more  time  had  been  at  my  disposal,  but  these  lines  have  been 
written  in  the  midst  of  incessant  work,  and  must  be  accepted 
rather  as  what  they  desire  to  be  than  as  what  they  are.  They 
are  designed  to  be  a  friend^s  sympathizing  sketch  of  a 
friend^s  labours ;  but  now  that  the  sketch  is  finished  I  feel 
how  imperfectly  it  sets  forth  the  original.  Such,  however, 
as  it  is  I  send  it." 

My  husband  had  some  valued  friends,  who  v/ere  not 
members  of  the  Church  of  England.  I  am  indebted  to  an 
article  by  one  of  them,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stoughton,  for  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  : — ■ 

"  The  merits  of  his  '  Magnum  Opus  ^  have  been  largely 
discussed — it  has  been  severely  as  well  as  favourably 
criticized ;  but  the  upshot  of  all  is,  the  high  place  assigned 
to  it  for  usefulness  by  scholars  of  different  creeds,  and 
different  countries.  In  the  library  of  most  English  mi- 
nisters. Conformists  and  Nonconformists,  you  are  sure  to 
find  conspicuous  on  the  shelves,  '  Alford^s  Greek  Testa- 
ment.'' In  conversation  on  disputed  passages,  the  question 
is  often  put — ^What  does  Alford  say?^  And  in  America, 
1  know,  from  the  testimony  of  my  friend.  Dr.  Schaff,  himself 
a  superior  judge  of  Biblical  attainments,  that  no  other 
English  critic  is,  on  the  whole,  valued  so  highly.  The  book 
has,  no  doubt,  imperfections,  as  everything  human  must 
have.  It  may,  and  doubtless  will,  be  surpassed  in  value  by 
some  other  edition  some  future  day,  when  the  inquisitiveness 
of  scholars,  now  working  in  different  departments  of  the 
great  field,  shall  have  provided  richer  and  ampler  materials 
than  the  present  age  places  at  any  one's  command.  But,  in 
comparison  with  the  actual  past,  not  in  comparison  with  the 
possible  future,  must  the  Dean's  critical  labours  be  estimated  ; 
and,  tried   bv  this  standard,  there  is    no   doubt   as  to  the 


1871]  Dr.  Stoiightons  Remarks.  505 

verdict  pronounced  by  those  who  are  competent  to  form  an 
opinion  on  the  subject. 

''There  was  a  strong  poetic  element  in  his  mind  from 
boyhood.  It  gushes  out  with  irrepressible  fervour  in  his 
'  School  of  the  Heart/  and  it  found  what  quickened  its 
impulses  in  the  English  club  at  Cambridge^  where  he 
wrought  together  with  Tennyson,  and  witnessed  'the 
gradual  modulating  into  harmony  of  some  of  those  sweetest 
strains  which  are  now  known  and  felt  throughout  the 
world.'  Some  of  Alford's  lyrical  pieces  and  hymns,  though 
they  lack  the  exquisite  word-music,  the  perfect  finish,  and 
the  condensed  power  of  the  'Poet  Laureate,'  abound  in  what 
is  natural,  true,  picturesque,  touching,  and  holy ;  the  whole 
poured  forth  in  mellifluous  strains,  only  sometimes  too  little 
restrained. 

"  His  career  as  a  literary  critic  was  much  more  important 
than  his  career  as  a  poet.  He  might  be  said  to  have  inaugu- 
rated, as  Editor  of  the  '  Contemporary,'  a  new  line  in  the 
history  of  criticism.  There  is  no  want  of  keenness  in  the 
critiques  he  wrote  or  admitted,  ignorant  assumption  and 
incompetent  ventures  received  their  due ;  but  all  honest, 
iudustrious,  well-informed  authorship  he  treated  with  respect, 
and  by  him,  perhaps  for  the  first  time,  all  sectarian  and  class 
prejudices  were  banished  from  the  pages  of  a  leading  Review. 
Many  persons  were  filled  with  surprise  at  articles  represen- 
tative of  different  schools  of  thought  being  admitted  into  a 
periodical  conducted  by  a  Dean,  and  at  notices,  just  and 
genial,  of  works  ignored  in  other  quarters,  or  dismissed 
with  a  contemptuous  sneer.  '  The  Contemporary  Review ' 
has  been  valuable  for  its  own  sake ;  but,  as  a  pioneer  in  a 
new  path,  as  an  example  of  independent,  unprejudiced,  and 
disinterested  criticism,  it  claims  honour  which  will  be  more 
appreciated  hereafter  than  it  is  at  present. 

"  Many  of  his  lighter  pieces,  such  as  appear  in  '  Good 
Words '  and  the  '  Sunday  Magazine,'  manifest  considerable 
literary  skill,  and  some  of  them,  as  regards  descriptive 
power,  particularly  those  describing  a  tour  on  the  Cornish 
coast,  attain  to  pre-eminent  excellence  in  that  department  of 


506  Life  of  Dean  A  If  or d.  [Chap.  XII. 

composition.  He  had  an  eye  ever  open  to  what  in  nature  is 
beautiful  and  sublime  ;  and^  combining  the  painter  with  the 
poet^  he  admirably  sketched  in  water-colours  what  he  ad- 
mirably described  in  words.  I  remember  hearing  high 
testimony  borne  to  his  drawings,  by  one  of  our  most  cele- 
brated Academicians ;  and  it  was  very  affecting  to  see  in 
his  library  on  the  day  of  the  funeral,  a  beautiful  picture  of 
St.  Michaels  Mount,  which  he  had  nearly  completed  on  the 
Monday  before  his  death. 

^^ These  various  pursuits  indicate  his  industrious  habits; 
but,  in  addition  to  his  being  a  critic,  a  poet,  and  a  painter, 
he  was  a  musician  and  a  mechanic.  Triumphs  of  his  handi- 
craft adorned  the  Deanery;  his  talent  for  music  found  appro- 
priate scope  in  the  Cathedral  Services;  his  study,  with 
different  tables  for  different  kinds  of  work,  showed  a  love  of 
methodical  arrangement;  and  other  contrivances,  interesting 
and  amusing  to  his  friends,  indicated  the  value  which  he  set 
on  hours  and  minutes. 

''  Great  industry  and  methodical  habits  unfit  some  men 
for  social  intercourse.  When  you  are  in  company  with 
them,  you  see  that  they  are  ill  at  ease :  their  hearts  are 
away  with  their  business  or  their  books.  Not  so  in  the 
present  instance.  Dr.  Alford's  nature  was  formed  for  kindly 
and  loving  companionship,  and  he  had  the  gentlemanly 
instinct  which  enables  a  man  to  show  himself  at  home  in 
whatever  society  he  appears,  because  he  feels  a  moral  kin- 
ship with  his  feUow-creatures,  however  different  their 
training  and  habits  from  his  own. 

'^Dr.  Alford  throughout  his  whole  ministerial  life,  judging 
from  his  writings,  and  from  the  testimony  of  those  who 
knew  him  best,  kept  a  fast  hold  upon  those  great  truths 
commonly  termed  Evangelical,  without  ever  identifying 
himself  with  the  party  in  the  Church  of  England  which 
bears  the  distinctive  name.  Some  love  to  reveal  the  secrets 
of  their  spiritual  history ;  with  others  it  is  indeed  '  hid  with 
Christ  in  God,'  save  as  it  comes  forth  in  deeds,  not  profes- 
sions. I  did  not  enjoy  the  intimate  acquaintance  which 
■would  enable  me  to  bear  personal  witness  to  Dr.  Alford's 


1871]       Remarks  by  a  Citizen  of  Canterbury.         507 

character  in  this  respect,  but  I  should  infer  that  he  belonged 
to  the  second  and  nobler  type  I  have  mentioned,  not  to  the 
first.  '  By  their  fruits/  says  the  all-seeing  Judge  of  cha- 
racter, '  by  the  doings  of  the  life,  not  by  the  utterance  of 
the  lips,  shall  ye  know  them/  The  appreciation  of  virtue  is 
a  Divine  gift :  reverence,  prompting  an  utterance  of  blessings 
over  the  holy  dead,  is  a  Divine  impulse.  I  recognize  a  sign 
of  the  Master's  approval,  a  reverberation  of  His  voice,  who 
says,  '  Blessed  is  that  servant  whom  his  Lord  when  He 
cometh  shall  find  so  doing,^  in  the  consentaneous  expression 
of  regard  and  love  to  Henry  Alford's  memory,  by  different 
organs  of  religious  opinion — by  ministers  and  people  of  all 
Churches — by  many  representatives  of  them  gathering  round 
his  grave — by  the  touching  references  made  to  him  at 
Canterbury,  as  '  The  Good  Dean/  and  by  demonstrations 
of  public  feeling  when  the  whole  city  was  moved,  and  went 
forth  to  see  the  last  Christian  rites  celebrated  at  his 
grave." 

A  friend  from  Canterbury  had  especial  opportunities  of 
forming  from  his  own  point  of  view  an  opinion  of  my 
husband,  and  he  has  obligingly  stated  it  in  the  following 
remarks  : — 

"  I  would  speak  of  him  as  Dean  of  Canterbury,  as  the 
leading  citizen  of  that  ancient  city,  as  the  eloquent  preacher 
in  the  Cathedral  pulpit,  and  as  the  kindly  loving  friend ;  for 
however  much  we  might  and  did  dijffer  on  some  great  points 
both  of  doctrine  and  politics,  it  was  impossible  to  resist  the 
attraction  of  the  warm  loving  heart  which  drew  to  him  all 
who  were  admitted  into  the  circle  of  his  friends.  One  great 
change  which  as  Dean  he  introduced  into  the  Cathedral 
service  was  the  establishment  of  a  sermon  on  Sunday  after- 
noons, for  which  for  many  years  he  was  alone  responsible. 
This,  which  at  first  was  considered  a  gteat,  and  by  some  an 
undesirable,  innovation,  proved  a  complete  success.  Very 
large  congregations,  drawn  from  all  parts  of  the  city,  filled 
the  choir  of  the  cathedral.  The  Dean's  voice,  well  modu- 
lated, distinct,  and  clear,  could  be  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
choir,  whilst  the  language,  '  drawn  from  the  well  of  English 


5o8  Life  of  Dea7i  Alford.  [Chap.  XIL 

undefiled,'  in  which  he  clothed  the  original  and  striking 
ideas  which  he  introduced  in  his  sermons^  was  such  as  went 
home  to  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  audience^  and  sent  many 
a  one  away  deeply  impressed  with  the  truths  which  had 
been  so  eloquently  brought  before  him.  To  the  very  end  of 
his  life  bis  sermons  continued  to  make  a  strong  impression 
upon  his  hearers^  and  were  listened  to  with  what  in  many 
cases  had  become  an  affectionate  interest  in  the  preacher. 
Nor  was  this  the  only  way  in  which  he  was  qualified  to  be 
the  De.an  of  a  large  cathedral.  The  present  Bishop  of  Car- 
lisle, speaking  from  his  recollections  as  Dean  of  Ely  says, 
'It  is  a  considerable  advantage  to  a  Dean  to  have  some 
knowledge  of  and  taste  for  music ;  this  enables  him  to  take 
his  own  proper  part  in  the  choral  service,  and  also  to  speak 
with  some  kind  of  authority  when  the  music  of  the  service 
is  bad.' — Cathedral  Essays,  p.  15.  When  Dean  Alford 
entered  upon  his  office  it  was  a  very  rare  thing  for  a  Dean  or 
Canon  to  be  able  to  take  his  part  in  the  musical  service. 
On  what  are  technically  called '  Precum  Days,'  the  great  Choral 
Festivals,  when  the  choicest  treasures  in  the  musical  re- 
pertory of  the  Cathedral  are  selected  to  celebrate  with  glad 
praise  and  thanksgiving  the  great  truths  of  our  salvation,  it 
falls  to  the  Dean  and  canons  to  say  the  service  for  the  day ; 
and  when  they  are  unable  to  intone  the  prayers  and  sing 
the  versicles,  the  perfectuess  of  the  rendering  is  sadly 
marred.  On  such  occasions  Dean  Alford' s  sweet  and  musical 
barytone  voice  sounded  throughout  the  choir,  and  could 
be  distinguished  even  at  the  lower  end  of  the  nave. 

"  I  can  well  remember  that  upon  one  of  the  choral  festi- 
vals of  parochial  choirs,  when  a  portion  of  the  congregation 
were  seated  in  the  nave,  he  tried  the  experiment  of  saying 
the  service  at  the  choir  door  standing  facing  the  north ;  and 
that  the  prayers  we^  easily  heard  and  joined  in  by  the 
large  numbers  assembled  both  within  and  without  the  choir. 
It  was  at  such  gatherings,  too,  which  tend  to  reunite  what 
have  been  too  much  separated,  the  cathedral  body  and  the 
clergy  and  laity  of  the  diocese,  that  his  great  powers  of 
organization  and  arrangement  were  conspicuous.     So  far  as 


1 871]        Remarks  by  a  Citizen  of  Cantcrhiry.  509 

lie  could  manage  it^  places  were  found  for  all  wlio  came, 
wliether  as  singers  or  as  members  of  the  congregation.  Tho 
available  s^Dace  witliin  and  beyond  the  choir  was  used  to  the 
utmost^  and  the  whole  of  those  who  were  present  were  con- 
ducted to  their  appointed  places  in  an  orderly  manner.  It 
is  not  my  intention  to  say  anything  of  his  intercourse  with 
the  members  of  the  Cathedral  body,  even  were  I  competent 
to  do  so ;  but  I  can  speak  from  my  own  knowledge  and 
experience  of  the  beneficial  influence  which  his  residence  in 
Canterbury  exercised  upon  the  citizens  generally.  No 
scheme  of  public  utility  or  of  charity  was  proposed  which  he 
was  not  ready  to  further  with  kindly  countenance  and  with 
very  liberal  gifts  from  his  purse.  All  the  established  insti- 
tutions, such  as  the  hospital  and  the  dispensary,  were  very 
largely  indebted  to  his  help ;  whilst  two  of  our  largest 
national  schools  received  very  liberal  contributions,  and  in 
one  of  our  poorest  and  most  populous  parishes  a  consi- 
derable portion  of  the  curate's  salary  was  for  a  long  time 
paid  by  him. 

''  It  was,  however,  in  our  social  life  that  we  felt  so  greatly 
the  benefit  of  his  being  amongst  us.  In  most  Cathedral  cities, 
and  in  Canterbury  not  less  than  in  others,  there  is  too  great 
a  tendency  to  keep  up  a  wall  of  exclusiveness  to  protect  the 
dwellers  in  the  Precincts  from  the  intrusion  of  those  living  in 
the  City.  To  break  down  this  barrier  as  much  as  possible, 
and  to  promote  the  kindly  intercourse  of  diS'erent  classes  of 
society  was  one  great  object  at  which  the  late  Dean  aimed 
and  in  the  attainment  of  which  he  was,  to  a  great  degree, 
successful.  Amongst  other  means  adopted  for  this  purpose 
was  the  foundation  of  a  musical  society  for  the  practice  and 
performance  of  the  Oratorios  and  other  standard  works  of 
our  great  mvisical  composers.  In  this  society  persons  of  all 
classes  were  enrolled,  and  during  its  continuance  it  has  been 
the  means  not  only  of  rendering  some  of  the  Oratorios  of 
Handel  and  Mendelssohn  in  a  way  which  gave  pleasure  to 
the  audience,  but  also  of  bringing  together  people  who  would 
otherwise  have  had  little  or  no  intercourse  with  each  other. 

^'  That  by  this  and  other  kindly  deeds  the  late  Dean  had 


5IO  Life  of  Dean  Alford.  [Chap.  XII. 

gained  for  himself  the  love  and  goodwill  of  the  citizens  of 
the  cathedral  city  was  shown  most  plainly  on  the  sad  day  of 
his  funeral.  So  suddenly,  indeed,  was  he  removed  from  our 
midst,  and  so  short  was  the  illness  which  preceded  his  death, 
that  few  had  realized  the  idea  of  his  life  being  in  any  danger 
when  the  great  bell  of  the  cathedral  proclaimed  the  sad 
tidings  of  his  death.  On  the  day  of  his  burial  the  cathedral 
was  filled ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  uncertainty  of  a  January 
day,  a  large  number  both  of  clergy  and  laity  joined  in  the 
funeral  procession  from  Christ  Church  gate  to  the  quiet 
resting-place  which  had  been  chosen  on  the  green  hill  of 
St.  Martin.  Long,  indeed,  will  it  be  before  the  memory  of 
the  good  Dean  Alford  is  forgotten  in  Canterbury  by  those 
who  knew  and  loved  him  for  his  own  and  for  his  works^ 
sake.  Long  will  it  be  before  the  impression  grows  faint 
which  was  made  by  the  holiness  of  his  life  and  the  consistent 
earnestness  of  his  Christian  character.  To  myself  personally, 
having  known  him  so  intimately  not  only  in  the  cathedi^al 
city,  where  he  was  so  incessantly  occupied  with  literary  and 
other  labours,  but  in  his  country  home,  where  he  allowed 
himself  more  relaxation,  it  will  ever  be  a  painful  pleasure  to 
bring  to  mind  all  the  little  incidents  of  our  warm  friendship. 
Whenever  I  recall  the  well-loved  features,  the  genial  smile, 
the  hearty  welcome,  the  warm  grasp  of  the  hand,  I  feel  how 
great  has  been  my  loss,  and  can  only  hope  that,  should  my 
own  course  be  guided  aright,  I  may  meet  him  again  in  that 
happier  wox'ld  where  sorrow  and  partings  shall  be  known  no 
more  for  ever.^' 


APPENDIX  A. 


WORKS   OF    DEAN  ALFORD  IN  THE   ORDER   OF 
THEIR  PUBLICATION. 


1830. 
Some  Hymns,  sent  to  the  "  Christian  Observer  "  and  "  Christian 
Guardian." 

1833. 

An  article  on  Ancient  Music  sent  to  the  "  Philological  Mu- 
seum," No.  II. 

"Poems  and  Poetical  Fragments."  J.  J.  Deighton,  Cam- 
bridge ;  and  Eivington,  London.     Pp.  97. 

1834. 

"Address  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Bury  St.  Edmund's  and  neigh- 
bourhood in  regard  to  the  Lord's  Day."  Gedge  and  Barker, 
Bury  St.  Edmund's.     Pp.  9. 

"  Faith  Explained  and  Enforced :  a  Sermon  preached  at 
Ampton  Church."     T.  C.  Newby,  Bury  St.  Edmund's.     Pp.  21. 

1835. 

"  The  School  of  the  Heart,  and  other  Poems ;  "  in  two  volumes. 
Pitt  Press,  Cambridge ;  Longman  and  Co.,  Loudon ;  Deighton, 
Cambridge.     Pp.  169.  129. 

1836. 

"  Hymns  for  the  Sundays  and  Festivals  throughout  the  Year, 
with  some  occasional  Hymns;  adapted  for  use  in  Churches 
where  the  Psalms  of  David  are  Sung."  Longman  and  Co., 
London  ;  Cartwright,  Loughborough.     Pp.  58. 

"  The  Practice  of  Infant  Baptism  asserted  on  Scriptural 
Grounds,  in  a  Letter  from  a  Clergyman  to  one  of  his  Parish- 
ioners."    Cartwright,  Loughborough.     Pp.  8. 


512  Appendix. 

1839. 

[Memoir  prefixed  to]  "  The  Works  of  John  Donne,  D.D., 
Dean  of  St.  Paul's  ;  "  in  six  vols.  Edited  bj  H.  Alford.  J.  W. 
Parker,  West  Strand. 

[Various  articles  in]  "  Dearden's  Miscellany." 

1840. 
"  The  Clergy  Watchmen  unto  the  People :  a  Sermon  preached 
at  Melton  Mowbray  at  the  Primary  Visitation  of  the  Lord  Bishop 
of  Peterborough."     Eivington,  London  ;  Dearden,  Nottingham. 
Pp.  28. 

1841. 

"  Gro,  and  Sin  no  More :  a  Sermon  preached  before  the 
Wymeswold  Friendly  Society."  Eivington,  London ;  Dearden, 
Nottingham.     Pp.  11. 

"  The  Abbot  of  Muchelnay.  Sonnets,  &c."  W.  Pickering, 
London.     Pp.  120. 

"  Chapters  on  the  Poets  of  Ancient  Grreece."  Dearden,  Not- 
tingham; Eivington,  London.  Pp.  263.  [Eepriuted  from 
"  Dearden's  Miscellany."] 

1842. 
"Hulsean  Lectures  for  the  Year  1841.  The  Consistency  of 
the  Divine  Conduct  in  revealing  the  Doctrines  of  Eedemption. 
To  which  are  added  two  Sermons  preached  before  the  University 
of  Cambridge."  Deighton,  Cambridge ;  Eivington,  London, 
Pp.  194. 

1843. 
"  Hulsean  Lectures  for  the  Year  1842.     The  Consistency  of 
the  Divine  Conduct  in  revealing  the  Doctrines  of  Eedemption." 
Deighton,  Cambridge ;  Eivington,  London.     Pp.  160. 

1844. 

"  Psalms  and  Hymns  adapted  for  the  Sundays  and  Holidays 
throughout  the  Year  ;  to  which  are  added  some  occasional  Hymns 
and  Prose  Hymns,  chiefly  from  Scripture,  Pointed  for  Chanting, 
and  adapted  to  the  Sundays  and  Holidays  throughout  the  Year." 
Eivington,  London.     Pp.  275. 

"  The  Eestoration  of  Churches  the  Bouuden  Duty  of  a  Chris- 
tian   People :    a    Sermon  preached    at   the  Eestoration  of  the 


Works  of  Dean  A  Iford.  5 1 3 

Parish  Churcli,  Beeston,  Nottinghamshire."     Dearden,  Notting- 
ham; Eivington,  London.     Pp.  31. 

1845. 

"  Address  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Wymeswold  on  the  approach- 
ing Completion  of  the  Eestoration  of  their  Church."  Dearden, 
Nottingham.     Pp.  8. 

"  IIPOrYMNASMATA :  Passages  in  Prose  and  Verse  from 
English  Authors  for  Translation  into  English  and  Latin  ;  together 
with  selected  Passages  from  Greek  and  Latin  Authors  for  Trans- 
lation into  English :  forming  a  regular  Course  of  Exercises  in 
Classical  Composition."     Deighton,  Cambridge.     Pp.  204. 

"  Poetical  Works."  Two  Vols.  Third  Edition.  Eivington, 
London.     Pp.  135  and  165. 

"An  earnest  Dissuasive  from  joining  the  Communion  of  the 
Church  of  Eome."     [Tract.] 

1846. 

"  A  History  and  Description  of  the  restored  Parish  Church  of 
St.  Mary's,  Wymeswold."  4to.  Printed  in  aid  of  the  Eestora- 
tion Fund.     Vizetelly  Brothers.     Pp.  23. 

"  Plain  Village  Sermons  on  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Beati- 
tudes."    Eivington,  London ;  Dearden,  Nottingham.     Pp.  125. 

1848. 
"  An  Address  presented  by  the  Inhabitants  of  Wymeswold  to 
Eev.  H.  Alford  and  his  Eeply."     Pp.  12. 

1849. 

"  The  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture.  Preached  before  the 
University  of  Cambridge  as  an  Exercise  for  the  Degree  of  Bache- 
lor of  Divinity."     Deighton,  Cambridge.     Pp.  18. 

"  The  Greek  Testament.  Vol.  I.  With  a  Critically  revised  Text ; 
a  Digest  of  Various  Headings;  Marginal  Eeferences  to  Verbal  and 
Idiomatic  Usage ;  Prolegomena  ;  and  a  Critical  and  Exegetical 
Commentary.  For  the  use  of  Theological  Students  and  Ministers." 
Eivington,  London.     Pp.  664. 

"  Four  Lectures  on  the  Influence  of  the  Fifth  Commandment 
as  the  great  Moral  Principle  of  Love  of  Country  and  Obedience  to 
constituted  Authorities ;  delivered  in  the  Theatre  of  the  City  of 
London  School ;  having  gained  the  Prize  offered  by  a  Benefactor 
to  that  Institution."     Eivington,  London.    Pp.  73. 

L  1 


5 1 4  Appendix. 

1850. 

Prselection  [read  at  Cambridge,  14th  Feb.  1850]  ;  "  ad  Epte- 
sios  revera  dabatur  Epistola  ilia  canonica,  Paulo  non  Psendo- 
paulo  auctore." 

"  Sermons."     Riviugton,  London.     Pp.  335. 

1851. 

"  Select  Poetical  Works."     Eivington.     Pp.  1Q. 

Article  in  the  "Christian  Observer"  (October),  on  Paget's 
"  Unity  and  Order  of  St.  Paul's  Epistles." 

Article  in  the  "  Christian  Observer"  in  the  form  of  a  letter, 
referring  to  a  letter  headed  "  Alford's  Prolegomena." 

1852. 

"  Sermon  preached  at  the  Ee-opening  of  St.  Martin's  Church, 
Leicester."     Crossley,  Leicester.     Pp.  19. 

Article  in  the  "  Edinburgh  Eeview"  on  Conybeare  and 
Howson's  "  Life  and  Epistles  of  St.  Paul." 

"  Greek  Testament.    Vol.  II."    First  Edition. 

[Advertisement*. — The  principal  points  of  difference  between 
this  volume  and  Vol.  I.,  vphich  I  have  explained  more  at  length  in 
the  Prolegomena,  are  the  following ;  in  this  volume : — 

1.  The  text  is  arranged  on  critical  principles,  regard  being 
had  to  the  internal  evidence  for  and  against  every  reading,  as 
well  as  fco  the  external  evidence  of  manuscripts. 

2.  The  reasons  for  adopting  or  rejecting  every  reading  are 
given  in  the  digest. 

3.  The  digest  embraces  a  complete  account  of  the  various 
readings;  those  of  the  later  cursive  manuscripts,  and  those  of 
minor  import,  which  were  excluded  in  Vol.  I.  being  here  inserted. 

4.  The  various  marks  of  variation  from  the  received  text,  of 
divided  manuscript  authority,  and  probable  spuriousness,  are 
omitted  in  the  text  of  the  present  volume. 

I  have  to  express  my  thanks  of  especial  obligation  to — ■ 

1.  The  2nd  Leipzig  Edit,  of  Tischendorf,   on   the  digest  in 


'  It  seems  desirable  to  print  here  those  "  Advertisements  "  to  certain 
editions  of  the  volumes  of  the  Greek  Testament  which  record  any  change  of 
plan  or  any  important  addition  to  the  contents  of  previous  editions. 


Woi^ks  of  Dea7i  A I  ford.  5 1 5 

which  my  own  is  mainly  founded,  and  from  whose  account  of 
MSS.  versions,  and  Fathers,  I  have  borrowed  largely. 

2.  The  Commentary  and  Critical  Notices  of  Meyer.  Though 
often  differing  widely  from  him,  I  cannot  help  regarding  his 
Commentary  on  the  Epp.  to  Corinthians  as  the  most  masterly  and 
complete  that  I  have  hitherto  seen  on  any  portion  of  Scripture. 

3.  The  archaeological  and  illustrative  labours  of  Messrs.  Cony- 
beare  and  Howson. 

4.  The  able  and  satisfactory  treatise  of  Mr.  Smith  on  the 
Voyage  and  Shipwreck  of  St.  Paul. 

I  must  leave  my  many  other  obligations  to  speak  for  them- 
selves. IJone  can  tell  how  much  and  how  kindly  I  have  been 
helped,  but  those  who  find  in  the  exercise  of  that  kindness  its 
most  acceptable  return.] 

1853. 

An  American  edition  of  "  Poems."  Dedicated  to  Longfellow. 
Ticknor,  Reed,  and  Field,  Boston.     Pp.  398. 

Article  in  the  "  Edinburgh  Eeview,"  "  Saul  of  Tarsus." 

1854. 

"  Memoir  of  the  Eev.  H.  Alford."     Eivington.     Pp.  259. 

"  English  Descriptive  Poetry  :  a  Lecture."     Pp.  27. 

"  Greek  Testament.  Vol.  I.  Second  Edition.  By  Eev.  H.  Alford, 
B.D.,  Minister  of  Quebec  Chapel,  London,  and  late  Fellow  of 
Trinity  College,  Cambridge." 

[Advertisement.  1854,  May. — This  second  edition  will  be 
foixad  to  differ  from  the  first  in  being  conformed  to  my  second 
volume,  as  regards  the  revision  of  the  text  and  digest  of  various 
readings.  This  latter  has  been  entirely  re-written,  and  the  text 
being  now  revised  on  the  critical  principles  announced  in  the 
Prolegomena,  Vol.  II.,  differs  considerably  from  that  in  the  first 
edition.  I  would  request  the  reader,  before  entering  on  the  work 
itself,  to  consult  the  following  portions  of  the  Prolegomena: — 

Chapter  VI.  §  1.  Of  the  arrangement  of  the  text  in  this  edition. 

2.  Of  the  various  readings. 

3.  Of  the  marginal  references. 
Chapter  VII.  §  1.  MSS.  referred  to. 

2.  Versions  referred  to. 

3.  Fathers,  and  other  ancient  writings  refei'red 

to. 

L  1  2 


5 1 6  Appendix. 

I  would  also  take  this  occasion  of  stating  that  the  matter  of 
the  Prolegomena,  digest  of  various  readings,  and  notes  through- 
out my  work,  must  be  understood  to  be  gathered  from  all  sources 
to  which  time  and  opportunity  have  afforded  me  access.  Of  these 
I  would  especially  mention,  in  this  first  volume,  Meyer's  and 
Olshausen's  "  Commentaries  on  the  Gospels,"  Stier's  "  Reden 
Jesu,"  Tischendorf 's  second  Leipzig  edition  of  the  "  Greek  Testa- 
ment," De  Wette's  "  Handbuch,"  and  Luthardt's  recent  admirable 
work  on  St.  John's  Gospel ;  I  only  regret  that  this  came  into  my 
hands  so  late  that  I  have  been  only  able  to  make  cursory  refer- 
ences to  it  in  revising  the  Notes  on  St.  John.] 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons.  Vol.1."  Rivington,  London.  Pp.408. 

"  Intelligent  Study  of  the  Scriptures."    Lecture  in  Exeter  Hall. 

1855. 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons.  Vol.11."  Rivington,  London.  Pp. 
311. 

"  Heal  the  Sick,  the  Duty  of  the  Christian  Church  in  all  Ages: 
a  Sermon  preached  in  Quebec  Chapel  on  behalf  of  the  Samaritan 
Free  Hospital  for  Women  and  Children."  Rivington,  London. 
Pp.  15. 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons.  Vol.  IV.  Divine  Love  in  Creation 
and  Redemption."     Rivington.     Pp.  307. 

"  Greek  Testament.    Vol.  II.    Second  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  1855,  February. — This  second  edition  is 
little  more  than  a  reprint  of  the  first.  Errors  have  been  cor- 
rected where  discovered,  and  a  few  important  changes  made ; 
but  in  almost  all  respects  the  volumes  are  identical.  That  this 
is  so  is  owing,  not  to  want  of  will  to  consider  and  revise,  but  to 
want  of  time  at  present,  with  the  preparation  of  the  remaining 
volumes  pressing  on  me,  to  work  over  the  ground  again.  The 
first  volume  of  this  work  being  now  in  the  editions  since  the  first 
assimilated  to  the  present  volume,  I  need  only  refer  the  reader  to 
the  Prolegomena.] 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  I.     Third  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  1855,  London,  Dec.  22. — Little  more  than 
a  reprint  of  the  second.  In  the  text  I  am  not  aware  of  having 
introduced  any  alteration,  except,  indeed,  'Iwavvou  for  'lojva  in 
John  i.  43,  which  latter  was  already  marked  as  an  erratum  in  the 
second  edition. 


Works  of  Dean  Alford.  5 1  7 

In  some  places  in  St.  John  I  have  added  a  few  explanatory 
and  other  remarks  to  the  notes  ;  and  throughout  that  Gospel, 
for  my  former  analytical  titles  of  the  various  sections,  I  have 
substituted  in  the  main  those  of  Luthardt,  which  regard  not  so 
much  its  outer  historical  surface  as  its  inner  theological  cohe- 
rence. That  such  corrections  and  additions  occur  in  St.  John 
only  is  owing,  not  to  my  supposing  the  other  part  of  my  book 
complete  without  them,  but  to  my  being  just  now  engaged  in  my 
pastoral  work  on  a  regular  exposition  of  that  Gosj)el.] 

1856. 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons.     Vol.  III."     Eivington.     Pp.  471. 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons  on  Christian  Pi'actice.  Vol.  V." 
Eivington.     Pp.  333. 

"  Sermon  preached  at  All  Saints'  Church,  Belvedere."  Daniel 
and  Oakley,  London.     Pp.  24. 

"Two  Letters  to  J.  Sperling,  Esq.,  on  the  Lord's  Day  Ques- 
tion."    Eivington.     Pp.  24. 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  in."     First  Edition. 

[Advertisement.  1856. — It  has  been  thought  better  to 
extend  the  number  of  volumes  of  the  work  to  four,  partly  on 
account  of  the  great  size  to  which  the  third  volume,  according  to 
the  former  plan,  would  have  extended,  and  partly  because  the 
publication  of  this  portion  would  thereby  have  been  so  long 
delayed.] 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  II.     Third  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  1856,  December. — In  this  third  edition  of 
my  second  volume  I  have  cm'sorily  compared  some  exegetical 
works  which  have  appeared  since  the  publication  of  the  second 
edition,  and  have  inserted  in  many  places  remarks  on  and 
extracts  from  them.  These  authors  will  be  found  mentioned  in 
the  "  Catalogue  of  Books  referred  to  "  at  the  end  of  the  Prole- 
gomena. I  only  regret  that  time  will  not  yet  allow  me  to  give 
this  portion  of  my  work  a  more  thorough  revision.  It  is  a  trial 
incident  to  the  preparation  of  such  volumes  as  these — to  be 
obliged  to  reissue  from  time  to  time  many  things  which  I  could 
wish  to  see  more  thoroughly  and  laboriously  done,  and  to  be 
content  still,  in  some  instances,  to  put  forth  views  which  subse- 
quent experience  has  chastened  and  deepened.  But  so  it  ever 
will  be  with  those  who  labour  at  God's  Word.     The  mine  is  un- 


5 1 B  Appendix. 

fafcliomable :  and  the  deeper  research  of  the  work,  as  it  advances, 
seems  also  to  show  how  much  deeper  it  might  have  been  carried 
before.] 

1857. 

"  Quebec  Chapel  Sermons.     Vol.  VI."     Eivington.     Pp.  291. 

"  Whj  will  ye  Die  ?  a  Sermon  preached  at  the  Special  Ser- 
vices at  Exeter  Hall."     Seeley  and  Co.     Pp.  15. 

"  Quebec  Chajjel  Sermons.     Vol.  VII."     Eivington.     Pp.  348. 

"Homilies  on  the  first  ten  Chapters  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles."     Eivington.     Pp.  208. 

"  Poverty  and  Eiches :  a  Sermon  preached  at  the  Temple 
Church."     Pp.  19. 

"  Separation  for  the  Spirit's  Work :  a  Sermon  preached  at 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral  at  the  Ordination  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
London."     Eivington.     Pp.  19. 

"  G-reek  Testament.     Vol.  III.     Second  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  1857,  June,  London. — A  few  necessary 
corrections.  In  the  "  Pastoral  Epistles  "  notices  have  been  in- 
serted of  Mr.  Ellicott's  work,  published  about  the  same  time  as 
the  first  edition.] 

1858. 

"Pulpit  Eloquence  of  the  Seventeenth  Century."  Lecture 
delivered  in  Exeter  Hall.     Pp.  50. 

"Four  Sermons  on  the  Parable  of  the  Sower."  Deighton  and 
Bell.     Pp.115. 

Various  Articles  in  the  "  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  "  edited  by 
Dr.  W.  Smith.     Published  by  Murray. 

1859. 

"Our  Lord  and  the  Gadarenes :  a  Sermon  preached  at 
Westminster  Abbey,"  taken  down  in  shorthand.     Pp.  13. 

"  Greek  Testament.  .  Vol.  IV.  Part  I."     First  Edition. 

[Advertisement.  1859,  June,  Carlisle.— The  division  of  this 
fourth  volume  into  two  parts  has  been  occasioned  by  the  amount 
of  time  necessary  for  the  preparation  of  the  Apocalypse.] 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  I.    Fourth  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  1859,  August,  Oban.— The  whole  digest  of 
various  readings  has  been  re-written,  and  the  body  of  marginal 
references  much  revised  and  enlarged ;  corrections  and  additional 
comments  have  been  occasionally  inserted  in  the  notes. 


Works  of  Dean  A  Iford.  5 1 9 

Particulars  of  these  clianges  will  be  found  in  tlie  Prolego- 
mena, Chap.  VI.  §  1,  22  ff. ;  §  2,  1  ff ,  iii.] 

1860. 
"  Greek  Testament.    Vol.  IV.     Part  II."     First  Edition. 

1861. 

"  Odyssey  of  Homer :  in  English  Hendeeasyllable  Verse." 
Longman.     Pj).  208. 

"  Greek  Testament.  Vol.  II.  Fourth  Edition." 
[Advertisement.  Canterbury,  April  6th,  1861. — This  fourth 
edition  of  my  second  volume  has  passed  under  entire  revision 
as  regards  (1)  the  critical  arrangement  of  the  text,  and  (2) 
the  body  of  references.  Both  these  labours  have  been  carried  on 
under  my  own  superintendence  by  my  Secretaries,  the  former 
including  the  re- writing  of  the  digest  of  various  readings,  and  of 
that  part  of  the  Prolegomena  which  treats  of  the  Apparatus 
Criticus,  by  the  Eev.  A.  W.  Grafton ;  the  latter  by  the  Eev.  E. 
Halce,  Minor  Canon  of  Canterbury. 

I  owe  it  to  the  unwearied  diligence  and  watchful  care  of  these 
my  coadjutors,  that  I  am  able  to  express  a  hope  that  this  edition 
will  be  found  very  far  superior  to  those  which  have  gone  before 
it. 

The  alterations  in  the  notes  have  been  chiefly  those  which  were 
rendered  necessary  by  the  more  complete  conformation  of  the 
text  to  the  testimony  of  our  most  ancient  manuscripts  and  ver- 
sions. I  may  be  allowed  to  direct  the  critical  reader's  attention 
to  the  list  of  ascertained  readings  of  the  "  Codex  Vaticanus," 
printed  at  the  end  of  the  Prolegomena.] 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  TV.  Part  I.    Second  Edition." 
[Advertisement.     Canterbury,  April  6th,  1861. — This  second 
edition  is  nearly  a  rej)rint  of  the  first,  the  changes  being  confined 
to  the  correction  of  ascertained  errors,  and  a  few  necessary  im- 
provements in  the  digest.] 

"  Greek  Testament.  Vol.  III.  Third  Edition." 
[Advertisement.  Canterbury,  Dec,  1861.- — This  volume  has 
been  now  made  uniform  with  the  rest  of  the  work  as  regards  the 
revision  and  augmentation  of  the  references,  and  the  re-writing 
of  the  critical  digest,  and  consequent  occasional  changes  in  the 
text. 


520  Appendix. 

The  notes  have  also  been  in  parts  considerably  modified  and 
augmented.] 

1862. 

"  New  Testament  for  English  Eeaders.  Vol.  I.  Part  I."  First 
Edition. 

"  Greek  Testament.   Vol.  IV.,  Part  II.,  Second  Edition." 

[Advertisement.  Canterbuiy,  March,  1862. — This  second 
edition  has  undergone  considerable  revision,  especially  in  the 
digest  of  various  readings,  which  has  been  in  many  respects  made 
more  complete.  The  recent  discovery  of  the  "  Codex  Reuch- 
linensis,"  on  which  Erasmus's  text  was  based,  rendered  it  neces- 
sary to  insert  in  the  digest  notices  of  its  readings,  obtained  from 
the  tract  of  Professor  Delitzsch. 

The  lists  of  MSS.  in  the  Apparatus  Criticus  are  new,  and 
have  been  drawn  up  almost  entirely  by  the  "Rev.  A.  W.  Grafton, 
who  has  personally  inspected  several  of  the  MSS.  See  note, 
Proleg.  p.  271. 

To  him,  and  to  my  other  Secretary,  the  Rev.  R.  Hake,  I  am 
mainly  indebted  for  the  revisions  and  the  new  matter  in  this 
edition.] 

"  Mourning  and  Praise  :  two  Sermons  preached  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral."     Rivington.     Pp.  36. 

"  The  Good  Shepherd  giveth  His  Life  for  the  Sheep  :  a  Sermon 
preached  in  Canterbury  Cathedral  at  a  Consecration."     Pp.  15. 

"  Sermons  on  Christian  Doctrine:  preached  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral."     Rivington,     Pp.  342, 

1863. 

"  Importance  of  Scripture  Knowledge :  a  Sermon  preached  at 
St.  Paul's," 

"  Rejoice  with  them  that  rejoice :  a  Sermon  preached  at  Canter- 
bury Cathedral  on  the  Prince  of  Wales's  Marriage."  Rivington. 
Pp.  11. 

"  Life's  Answer,"  a  poem  in  "  Macmillan's  Magazine." 

"  The  Queen's  English."  Strahan.  Pp.  257,  [Sent  fii-st  as 
articles  in  "  Good  Words."] 

Articles  in  "  Good  Words"  on  "  Meditations  on  Creation,  Pro- 
vidence, and  Advent."     [Afterwards  published  in  a  volume.] 

"  Passing  away,"  a  poem  in  "  Macmillan's  Magazine." 


Works  of  Dean  A  Iford.  5  2 1 

"  Cliurcli  Movement  in  otir  Day :  a  Sermon  preached  in  Wells 
Cathedral."     Pp.  20. 

"  Greek  Testament.    Vol.  I.   Fifth  Edition." 

[Advertisement,  May,  1863. — In  the  present  edition  consider- 
able improvements  and  additions  have  been  made ;  the  text  has 
been  carefully  gone  over,  and  the  restilts  of  additional  evidence 
from  new  MSS.,  and  the  more  exact  collation  of  others  previously 
known,  have  been  embodied  in  it. 

The  digest  of  various  readings  has  been  nearly  re-written  since 
the  i^ublication  of  the  fourth  edition.  I  regret  that  the  printed 
edition  of  the  "  Codex  Sinaiticus"  did  not  reach  me  till  the  three 
fu-st  Gospels  were  printed.  In  the  digest  to  the  Gospel  of  St. 
John  the  whole  of  its  readings  are  incorporated. 

The  marginal  references  have  undergone  careful  and  thorough 
revision,  and  will  be  found  more  practically  useful,  and  more 
exhaustive  of  the  occurrence  of  words  and  constructions  than  in 
the  former  editions. 

The  notes  have,  for  the  first  time  since  the  publication  of  the 
first  edition  in  1849,  been  subjected  to  entii-e  revision.  I  could 
have  wished  to  have  taken  account  in  them  of  every  recent  con- 
tribution to  the  exegesis  of  the  sacred  text,  but  this  has  been 
found  impossible.  Bleek's  valuable  posthumous  "  Introduction 
to  the  New  Testament"  has  been  consulted  throughout,  and  many 
additional  notices  have  been  inserted  from  other  works.] 

1864. 

"  Letters  from  Abroad."  Strahan.  Pp.  269.  [Sent  first  as 
ai'ticles  in  "  Good  Words,"  in  eight  articles.] 

"  Evening  Hexameters,"  in  "  Good  Words." 

*'  Filiolse  Dulcissimse,"  a  poem  in  "  Macmillan's  Magazine." 

Three  Articles  on  "  How  to  Use  the  Gosj)els,"  in  "  The  Sunday 
Magazine."  [These  and  the  remaining  articles  sent  in  1865  and 
1866  were  afterwards  made  into  three  volumes,  "  How  to  Study 
the  New  Testament."] 

1865. 

"  Meditations  on  Advent,  Creation,  and  Providence."  Strahan. 
Pp.  124.     [Reprinted  from  "  Good  Words."] 

"  To  the  Chief  Singers :  a  Sermon  preached  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral  at  the  Festival  of  the  Choir  Fund." 

"  Poetical  Works."     Fourth  Edition. 


52  2  Appendix. 

JSTine  additional  Articles  in  the  "  Sunday  Magazine  "  on  "  Hoav 
to  Use  the  Grospels,"  &c.,  &c. 

Article  in  "  Good  Words,"  on  "  Three  Weeks  among  the 
French  Churches." 

"  Greek  Testament.     Vol.  II.     Fifth  Edition." 

[Advektisement.  1805,  July.  Deanery,  Canterbury. — The 
"  Codex  Sinaiticus  "  has  been  collated  throughout,  and  in  cer- 
tain doubtful  passages  of  the  text  its  testimony  has  now  decided 
the  reading.  The  references  have  been  somewhat  modified, 
principally  with  a  view  to  render  each  volume  independent  in 
itself,  and  prevent  constant  cross  references  to  the  others,] 

1866. 
Six  Articles  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review :" — 

1.  On  Church  Hymn  Books. 

2.  Mr.  A.  Trollope  on  the  English  Church. 

3.  Recent  Nonconformist  Sermons, 

4.  Cathedral  Life  and  Cathedral  Reform. 

5.  Felix  Holt,  the  Radical. 

6.  Recent  Poems.     Article  1. 
Five  Articles  in  "  Sunday  Magazine." 

Three  Articles  on  "  How  to  Use  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles." 
"  Last  Words  in  Canterbury  Cathedra],  1865." 
"  First  Words  in  Canterbury  Cathedral,  1866." 

Article  in  "  Good  Words."  "  A  Frenchman's  Impressions  of 
England  a  Century  ago." 

"  The  Year  of  Prayer :  being  Family  Prayers  for  the  Christian 
Tear."     Pp.  283.     Small  8vo,  pp.  207. 

"  Week  of  Prayer."     Pp.  83. 

"  True  and  False  Guides."  A  Lecture  given  in  Exeter  Hall. 
Pp.  32. 

"  Easter-tide  Sermons."     Strahan.     Pp.  124. 

"How  to  Study  the  New  Testament."  Vol.  I.  Strahan. 
Pp.  360. 

"  Coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  ;  Conflict  and  Victory  :  preached 
at  Oxford."     Printed  in  a  book  with  other  Sermons. 

1867. 
"  The  Year  of  Praise  :  being  Hymns,  with  Tunes,  for  the  Sun- 
days and  Holidays  of  the  Year."      Five  editions,  viz. : — Large 


Works  of  Dea7i  Alford.  523 

ty^^e,  with   Music.     Without   Music.     Small  type,  with  Music. 
Without  Music.     Tonic  Sol-fa  Edition. 

"How  to  Study  the  New  Testament.  The  Epistles:  first 
section.     Yol.  II."     Strahan.     Pp.  278. 

"  The  Work  of  Him  that  sent  Me  :  a  Sermon  preached  in 
Lambeth  Chapel  at  the  Archbishop's  Ordination."  Eivington. 
Pp.  16. 

Four  Articles  in  the  "  Contemporary  Review  :" — 
Eecent  Poems.     Article  2. 
Eecent  Anglican  Sermons. 
Le  Cure  d'Ars.     Article  1. 
Le  Cure  d'Ars.     Article  2. 
Two  Articles  in  "  Good  Words :" — 
"  More  about  the  Queen's  English." 
"  Hymns,"  afterwards  printed  in  "  The  Year  of  Praise." 
Fourteen  Articles  in  "  Sunday  Magazine  :" — 
Twelve  Articles  on  "  How  to  Use  the  Epistles." 
"  Last  Words  in  Canterbury  Cathedral,  1866." 
"  Fii-st  Words  in  Canterbury  Cathedral,  1867." 

1868. 
"  Poetical  Works."     Fifth  Edition. 
Five  Articles  in  the  "  Contemporary  Eeview :" — 

1    The  Union  of  Christendom  in  its  Home  Aspects. 

2.  Byways  of  2^ew  Testament  Eevision. 

3.  The  Church  of  the  Future. 

4.  Principles  at  Stake.     No.  I. 

5.  Principles  at  Stake.     No.  11. 
Three  Articles  in  "  Grood  Words :" — 

1.  The  Christian  Conscience. 

2.  A  Week  on  the  North  Coast  of  Cornwall.     With  Illus- 

trations. 

3.  Cornwall  Again.     No.  II.,  with  Illustrations. 

Two  Articles  in  "  Sunday  Magazine,"  called  "  Fireside 
Homilies." 

[These  Homilies  were  written  in  a  familiar,  affectionate  style, 
describing  a  father  and  mother  and  two  little  girls  talking  over 
various  religious  subjects  on  Sunday  evening  at  the  Deanery. 
Some  family  scenes  and  some  public  ones  are  introduced,  and 
nearly  all  the  Scripture  pictures  in  the  Deanery  are  de- 
scribed.! 


524  Appendix. 

Homily  I.  The  Christiau  Enjoyment  of  Sunday — an  approach 
to  the  State  of  the  Blessed  Dead. 

Homily  II.  Archbishop  Longley's  Death.  His  Boy's  deathbed 
described. 

1869. 

"  Essays  and  Addresses  :  chiefly  on  Church  Matters."  Strahan. 
Pp.  195. 

Four  Articles  in  the  "  Contemporary  Eeview :" — 

1.  The  Next  Step. 

2.  Manual  of  Family  Prayer. 

3.  Cathedral  Eeform. 

4.  Cathedral  Eeform :  a  Supplement. 
Seven  Articles  in  "  Sunday  Magazine :" — 

Homily  III.  Of  the  Infant  Jesus,  and  six  pictures  describing 
Him. 

Homily  IV,  Of  the  Child  Jesus,  and  six  pictures  describing  Him.  " 

Homily  V.  Of  Jesus  a  Youth.  Holman  Hunt's  picture  of 
Christ  in  the  Temple  described,  and  Herbert's  picture  of  Christ 
in  the  Carpenter's  Shop. 

Homily  VI.  Of  the  Marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee. 

Homily  VII.  Our  Saviour  raising  the  Widow's  Son. 

Homily  VIII.  Our  Saviour  raising  Jairus's  Daughter. 

Homily  IX.  The  Eaising  of  Lazarus. 

Six  Articles  in  "  Grood  Words,"  called  "  Pamphlets  for  the 
People:" — 

1.  The  Wants  of  Man  in  the  Matter  of  Eeligion. 

2.  The  Eeasonableness  of  the  Christian  Life. 

3.  Mosaism  and  Christianity. 

4.  Eight  Views  of  Life. 

5.  Eomanism  and  Protestantism. 

6.  Things  which  need  to  be  Eeformed. 

"  State  of  the  Blessed  Dead."    Hodder  and  Stoughton.    Pp.  100, 
"  The  Coming  of  the  Bridegroom."     Hodder  and  Stoughton. 
Pp.  93. 

"  Our  Lord  and  His  Twelve  Disciples.  A  Series  of  Photo- 
graphs after  the  Crayon  Drawings  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  with  a 
History  of  each  Disciple."     Bell  and  Daldy.     Pp.  86. 

1870. 
"The  Eiviera.      Pen   and  Pencil   Sketches   from  Cannes   to 
Genoa."     Quarto.     Bell  and  Daldy.     Pp.  128. 


Works  of  Dea7i  Alfo7'd.  525 

"  The  Lord's  Prayer,  niustrated  by  J.  R.  Pickersgill  and 
Henry  Alford."  Quarto.  Longmans,  Green,  Eeader,  and  Dyer. 
Pp.  36. 

Three  Articles  in  the  "  Contemporary  Eeview :" — 

1 .  The  Idylls  of  the  King. 

2.  The  Church  and  the  Age. 

3.  Nonconformists'  Essays. 
Three  Articles  in  "  Sunday  Magazine :" — 

Homily  X.  Our  Lord's  Anathema,  St.  Mark  ix.  39, 
Homily  XL  The  Transfiguration. 

Homily  XII.  The  Gospel   of  the  Children ;   an  imaginary 
Scene  abroad. 
"  How  to    Study    the    New    Testament :    Epistles :    second 
section.    Vol.  III."     Strahan.     Pp.  337. 

"  The  New  Testament  after  the  Authorized  Version  Eevised." 
Strahan.  Three  Editions,  in  Long  Primer,  Brevier,  and  Non- 
pareil. 

"  Plea  for  the  Queen's  English."  Third  Edition.  Called  also 
"A  Manual  of  Idiom  and  Usage,"  with  many  Additions. 

"  Biblical  Eevision,  its  Duties  and  Conditions :  a  Sermon 
preached  at  St.  Paul's."     Strahan.     Pp.  27. 

"  The  Compacted  Body :  a  Sermon  preached  in  the  Chapel, 
Lambeth  Palace,  at  the  Consecration  of  the  Suffragan  Bishop  of 
Dover."     Strahan.     Pp.  24. 

1871. 

[Posthumous  Publications.] 

"  Truth  and  Trust :  Lessons  on  the  War."  Hodder  and 
Stoughton.     Pp.  103. 

Article  in  "  Good  Words :" — "  The  Bullers  of  Buchan."  With 
Illustrations. 

Processional  Hymn,  with  Music.     Novello. 

1872. 

[Posthumous  Publications.] 

"  Genesis  and  part  of  Exodus,  for  English  Eeaders."  Strahan. 
Pp.  338. 

"  The  Sons  of  God  Known  and  Unknown."  Hodder  and 
Stoughton.  Pp.  200.  [Eight  Sermons  preached  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral  towards  the  end  of  1866.] 


APPENDIX   B. 


PROCESSIONAL   HYMN. 

[The  following  Hymn  is  not  included  in  Dean  Alibrd's  "  Poems," 
or  in  the  "  Year  of  Praise."  It  was  written  and  the  music  was 
composed  to  be  sung  at  the  Tenth  Festival  of  Parochial  Choirs 
of  the  Canterbury  Diocesan  Union,  on  6th  June,  1871.] 


"  Speak  unto  the  cbildren  of 
FoKWARD  !  be  our  watchword, 

Steps  and  voices  join'd ; 
Seek  the  things  before  us, 

Not  a  look  behind  : 
Burns  the  fiery  pillar 

At  our  army's  head ; 
Who  shall  dream  of  shrinking, 
By  JehQvah  led  ? 

Forward  through  the  desert, 

Thi-ough  the  toil  and'  fight  : 
Jordan  flows  before  us, 
Zion  beams  with  light ! 

Forward,  when  in  childhood 

Buds  the  infant  mind ; 
All  through  youth  and  manhood. 

Not  a  thought  behind  : 
Speed  through  realms  of  natiu'e. 

Climb  the  steps  of  grace  : 
Faint  not,  till  around  us 
Gleams  the  Father's  Face. 
Forward,  all  the  lifetime, 

Climb  from  height  to  height : 
Till  the  head  be  hoary. 
Till  the  eve  be  light. 

Forward,  flock  of  Jesus, 
Salt  of  all  the  earth  ; 
Till  each  yearning  purpose 
Spring  to  glorious  bii-th  ; 
Sick,  they  ask  for  healing. 

Blind,  they  grope  for  day ; 
Pour  upon  the  nations 
Wisdom's  loving  ray. 
Forward,  out  of  error. 

Leave  behind  the  night ; 
Forward  through  the  darkness. 
Forward  into  Light ! 

Glories  upon  glories 

Hath  our  God  prepared. 
By  the  souls  that  love  Him 

One  day  to  be  shared  ; 
Eye  hath  not  beheld  them. 

Ear  hath  never  heard ; 
Nor  of  these  hath  utter'd 
Thought  or  speech  a  word  : 
Forwaid,  marching  eastward 
Where  the  heaven  is  brioht. 
Till  the  veil  be  lifted. 
Till  our  faith  be  sight ! 


Israel,  that  they  go  foi-ward." 
Far  o'er  yon  horizon 

Rise  the  city  towers. 
Where  our  God  abideth ; 

That  fair  home  is  ours ; 
Flash  the  streets  with  jasper. 
Shine  the  gates  with  gold  : 
Flows  the  gladdening  river 
Shedding  joys  untold : 
Thither,  onward  thither. 

In  Jehovah's  might; 

Pilgrims  to  yoiu'  country. 

Forward  into  Light ! 

Into  God's  high  Temple 

Onward  as  we  press. 
Beauty  spreads  around  us. 

Born  of  holiness ; 
Arch,  and  vault,  and  carving, 

Lights  of  varied  tone ; 
Sofcen'd  words  and  holy. 
Prayer  and  jjraise  alone  : 
Every  thought  upraising 

To  our  City  bright, 
WTiere  the  tribes  assemble 
Bound  the  throne  of  Light. 

Nought  that  City  needeth 
Of  these  aisles  of  stone  : 
Where  the  Godhead  dwelleth. 

Temple  there  is  none  : 
All  the  saints  that  ever 

In  these  courts  have  stood. 
Are  but  babes,  and  feeding 
On  the  children's  food. 

On  through  sign  and  token. 

Stars  amidst  the  mght ; 
Forward  through  the  darkness. 
Forward  into  Light ! 

To  the  Father's  Glory 

Loudest  anthems  raise : 
To  the  Son  and  Spirit 

Echo  songs  of  praise  : 
To  the  LoKD  Jehovah, 

Blessed  Three  in  One, 
Be  by  men  and  angels 
Endless  honour  done. 

Weak  are  earthly  praises, 
Didl  the  songs  of  night : 
Forward  into  triumph. 

Forward  into  Lii-ht !        11.  A. 


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PROCESSIONAL    HYMN. 

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APPENDIX   C. 


CATHEDRAL   EESTOEATION. 

[As  Treasurer  of  tlae  Cathedral  Fabric  Fund,  Dean  Alford  gave 
much  time  and  attention  to  superintending  various  imj)rove- 
ments  in  and  additions  to  Canterbury  Cathedral.  Through  the 
kindness  of  Canon  Eobertson  I  am  enabled  to  give  the  following 
account  of  what  was  thus  done.] 

In  his  Eeport  as  Special  Treasurer  of  the  Cathedral  Fabric 
Fund  for  1862-3,  Dean  Alford  mentions  that  the  works  under- 
taken during  the  year,  in  pursuance  of  the  recommendation 
of  Mr.  Austin  (Architect  to  the  Chapter)  and  Mr.  Christian 
(Architect  to  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners),  were  "the  choir- 
roof  and  the  south-western  tower,  with  a  portion  of  the  west 
front." 

"  In  repairing  the  tower  and  the  carved  work  (of  the  south 
porch)  great  care  has  been  taken  not  to  remove  any  old  work 
which  could  be  retained.  No  scraping  or  renovating  of  the  old 
work  has  been  allowed,  and  only  those  stones  have  been  taken 
out  in  which  decay  was  advancing.  In  their  case  we  have  felt 
that  the  duty  of  substantial  repair  must  prevail,  however  much 
we  might  prefer  retaining  the  ancient  and  venerable  aspect  of  the 
surface.  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  announce  that  Mr.  Christian, 
by  whom  the  whole  work  has  been  thoroughly  examined,  has 
pronounced  that,  ia  this  as  in  other  respects,  he  is  completely 
satisfied." 

The  Eeport  then  goes  on  to  notice  the  manner  in  which  the 
carving  intended  for  the  south  porch  had  been  executed  by  "  a 
workman  of  great  skill  and  genius,"  and  the  Dean  continues : — 

"  A  scheme  of  my  own,  to  re-fill  the  niches  of  the  south  porch 
and  west  end  with  figures  of  Kings  and  Archbishops,  has  been 
very  favourably  .received.     Of  the  twenty-eight  figures  required 


Cathedral  Restoratioii. 


529 


for  the  south  porch  and  south  buttress-front,  fifteen  have  been 
subscribed  for,  and  are  now  in  hand  \ 

"  In  the  Precincts,  the  main  work  undertaken  has  been  the 
erection  of  the  new  School  buildings  from  Mr.  Austin's  design." 

The  Report  for  1863-4  mentions  the  continuation  of  works 
mentioned  in  that  for  the  preceding  year.  The  beginning  of  a 
restoration  of  the  east  side  of  the  Cloisters,  the  restoration  of  the 
roof  of  the  choir  westward  of  the  transepts,  repairs  of  the  win- 
dows, especially  the  great  windows  of  the  west  front  and  of  the 
south-west  transept. 

The  new  School-house  and  Head-master's  house  had  been 
completed  and  were  occupied,  but  "  the  former  residence  of  the 
Head-master,  which  it  was  intended  to  fit  up  as  a  house  for  the 
Second  Master,  has  been  pronounced  by  '  the  Architects '  to  be 
in  a  state  of  such  unsoundness  as  to  preclude  all  idea  of  rej>air." 

The  Eeport  for  1864-5  sets  forth  the  prosecution  of  the  work 
of  restoration,  chiefly  along  the  south  side  of  the  Cathedral. 


1  The  number  of  figures  already  erected  is 
seven.  The  extent  of  the  Dean's  scheme  will 
of  the  statues  : — 

Oui-  Lord  as  the  Good  Shepherd. 

St.  Augustine. 

St.  Anselm. 

Abp.  Lanfranc. 

Abp.  Cranmer. 

King  Ethelbert. 

Queen  Bertha. 

St.  Gregory  the  Gi'eat. 

Abp.  Theodore. 

St.  Dunstan. 

St.  Alphege. 

King  Alfred. 

King  Edmund. 

King  Canute. 

King  Edward  the  Confessor. 

Abp.  Becket. 

Abp.  Baldwin. 

Abp.  Hubert  Walter. 

Abp.  Langton. 

King  William  I. 

King  William  II. 

King  Henry  I. 

Abp.  Coui-tenay. 

King  Edward  III. 

The  Black  Prince. 

Prior  Ernulf. 

King  Henry  VIII. 

King  Edward  VI. 

Abp.  Sancroft. 

Abp.  Laud. 


at  this  time,  June,  1872,  forty- 
be  seen  from  the  following  list 

King  Charles  I. 

Queen  Victoria. 

The  Prince  Consort. 

Bishop  Ridley. 

Dean  Stanhope. 

King  Henry  II. 

King  Henry  IV. 

King  Henry  V. 

King  Edward  IV. 

King  Henry  VI. 

King  Henry  VII. 

King  William  III. 
Queen  Elizabeth. 
Queen  Mary  II. 
Abp.  Stratford. 
Abp.  Sudbury. 
Abp.  Chicheley. 
Abp.  Arundel. 
Abp.  Warham. 
Abp.  Parker. 
Abp.  Grindal. 
Abp.  Whitgift. 
Abp.  Tillotson. 
Prior  Conrad. 
Prior  de  Estria. 
Prior  Goldstone. 
Dean  Woottou. 
Dean  Bargrave. 
Dean  Percy. 
Richard  Hooker. 

M  m 


530  Appendix. 

"  In  St,  Andrew's  Chapel,  otherwise  known  as  the  Lay 'Clerks' 
Vestry,  the  sash  and  casement  windows  have  been  removed 
and  the  ceiling  taken  down,  and  the  Norman  work  restored 
both  inside  and  outside :  also  a  new  roof  has  been  put  to  the 
apse. 

"  The  South  Norman  Tower  is  now  under  repair,  and  the  ashlar 
on  the  west  side  of  it  has  been  repaired  to  the  height  of  about 
ten  feet.  In  continuing  the  restoration  of  this  tower,  it  is  not 
proposed  at  present  to  go  higher  than  the  level  of  the  parapet  of 
the  choir-aisles,  leaving  the  rich  old  Norman  work  above  for  a 
future  time 

"An  Early  English  embossed  parapet,  the  pattern  of  which 
was  borrowed  from  Lincoln  Cathedral,  has  been  placed  over  the 
south  aisle  of  the  choir." 

Among  works  to  be  undertaken, — 

"  We  purpose  also  taking  in  hand  the  Treasury,  and  hope  to 
be  able  to  complete  its  restoration  and  preparation  to  serve  as 
the  future  Audit-room  of  the  Chapter.  The  completion  of  its 
western  front  must  of  course  await  the  removal  of  the  present 
Audit-room,  which  cannot  be  effected  until  such  time  as  the  new 
one  is  ready  for  occui^ation." 

In  the  Precincts,  "  the  pulling  down  of  the  houses  south  of  the 
Brick  Walk  has  been  completed ;  the  road  has  been  partially 
made  from  the  Churchyard.  .  .  .  The  portions  of  old  ruin  which 
are  to  be  preserved  have  been  cemented  on  the  top,  and  supported 
and  defended  by  railing. 

"  On  the  south  side  of  the  Cathedral  the  entire  length  of  rail- 
ing has  been  removed  from  the  grass  plots,  and  the  (wider)  road 
has  been  partially  constructed. 

"  In  the  Mint  Yard  the  new  building  attached  to  the  Second 
Master's  house  (late  Mr.  Austin's)  has  been  raised  from  the 
ground,  and  is  now  roofed  in.  The  Organist's  late  house  has 
been  pulled  down,  as  also  the  old  School-house.  A  new  Gateway 
and  Porter's  Lodge  have  been  built  at  the  boundary  of  our  pro- 
perty in  Northgate." 

The  Eeport  for  1865-6  shows  that  restoration  and  improve- 
ment was  vigorously  carried  on.  The  following  paragrajih 
records  a  change  of  plan  since  the  preceding  year : — 

"  [The  South  Norman]  Tower,  which,  in  its  upper  stages,  has 
its  surface  enriched  by  most  elaborate  and  beautiful  ornament, 
has  been  thoroughly  repaired  and  restored ;  also  portions  of  the 


Cathedral  Restoration.  531 

walls,  where  crippled  and  bulged,  have  been  carefully  taken 
down  and  rebuilt.  This  tower  is  now  completely  restored,  with 
the  exception  of  the  conical  leaden  roof." 

There  are  notices  of  the  completion  of  improvements  at  the 
east  end  of  the  Cathedral,  in  the  Mint  Yard,  &c.,  and  of  the 
adaptation  of  the  ancient  Brewhouse  to  the  purposes  of  a  Cho- 
risters' School,  with  "  a  large  and  commodious  Singing  School 
for  the  Choir  rehearsals. 

"  These  last-mentioned  works  bring  the  improvements  in  the 
Precincts  to  an  end ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  whole  Fabric  Fund 
may  hereafter  be  available  for  the  restoration  and  improvement 
of  the  Cathedral  itself  and  its  appendages." 

The  Report  for  1866-7,  after  recording  the  completion  of 
some  works  mentioned  in  previous  years,  enters  into  a  statement 
of  the  state  of  the  Fabric  Fund.  Of  the  20,000Z.,  with  interest, 
which  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  had  agreed,  in  1862,  to 
pay  to  the  Chapter,  there  remained  a  surplus  of  about  1200Z. ; 
and,  when  this  shall  have  been  expended,  the  Chapter  would  have 
only  its  ordinary  Fabric  Fund  for  restorations  and  improve- 
ments. 

"  During  the  summer  it  became  questionable  whether  the  plan 
proposed  in  my  last  Eeport  of  restoring  the  old  Choristers' 
School,  as  an  addition  to  the  present  Library,  were  feasible ;  and 
after  some  deliberation,  it  was  agreed  to  build  a  new  Library  on 
part  of  the  site  of  the  old  Dormitory.  .  .  .  The  building  is 
about  half  completed.  It  is  hoped  that  this  room  may  be  ready 
for  the  occupancy  of  the  Chapter  as  their  Audit-room  (the  idea 
of  fitting  up  the  Treasury  for  that  purpose  having  been  for  the 
present  abandoned)  by  Midsummer  next  ^" 

The  Eeport  for  1867-8  is  not  in  the  Dean's  handwriting,  and 
the  works  which  it  records  are  (as  might  have  been  expected  from 
the  explanations  of  1867)  on  a  reduced  scale.  The  chief  feature 
is  the  restoration  of  St.  Anselm's  Chapel. 

The  Eeport  for  1868-9,  after  speaking  of  "  the  absorption  of 


-  The  idea  of  building  a  new  Libraiy  on  tlie  site  here  described  was 
suggested  by  the  Auditor  of  the  Cathedral,  Mr.  T.  G.  Faussett.  The  building 
was  used  for  the  first  time  on  occasion  of  the  Kentish  Archceological  Asso- 
ciation's Congress,  July  30  and  31,  1868  ;  and  the  books  were  removed  into 
it  in  the  beginning  of  the  following  year,  so  that  it  wore  the  appearance  of 
a  Library  when  used  as  the  scene  of  a  luncheon  given  by  the  Dean  and 
Canons  on  the  day  of  Archbishop  Tait's  enthronement,  Feb.  4,  1869. 

M  m  2 


532  Appendix. 

a  great  portion  of  the  Fabric  Fund  in  the  cost  of  the  new 
Library,"  proceeds: — 

"  Our  attention  has  been  chiefly  directed  to  removing  the  old 
brick  sash-windowed  Audit-room,  and  making  good  the  ancient 
walls  and  arcading  thus  exposed  to  view.  This  process  has  been 
nearly  completed  as  regards  the  west  face  of  the  Treasixry,  the 
adjoining  face  of  the  Lay  Clerks'  Vestry  or  St.  Andrew's  Chapel, 
and  the  stump  of  the  Norman  Tower  adjoining  it. 

"  That  portion  of  Henry  de  Estria's  screen  which  formerly 
occupied  the  site  of  Archbishop  Howley's  cenotaph,  has  been 
repaired  and  restored,  ready  for  erection  when  the  masonry  shut- 
ting out  St.  Andrew's  Chapel  from  the  Cathedral  is  taken  down." 

In  the  Report  for  1869-70,  the  Dean  says,  "  Our  works 
have  again  this  year  been  subjected  to  almost  entire  suspension 
on  account  of  the  determination,  since  the  last  Eej)ort,  to  under- 
take the  warming  of  the  Cathedral. 

"  Of  the  works  mentioned  in  the  last  Eeport  as  apportioned  to 
the  present  year,  the  new  north  staircase  only  has  been  proceeded 
with.     That  is  now  completed,  and  in  use." 

To  this  Report  is  appended  a  Balance-sheet,  showing  the  ex- 
penditure of  all  the  money  which  had  passed  through  the  Dean's 
hands  as  Treasurer  of  the  Fabric  Fund.  The  date  of  the  Report, 
Dec.  8,  1870,  throws  a  peculiar  light  on  the  fact  of  his  having 
taken  that  oj^portunity  to  sum  up  his  accounts  with  the  Chapter. 


INDEX. 


Abbotsford,  290. 

A'Becket,  Thomas,  324,  345. 

Acland,  Sir  T.,  80. 

Acland,  Sir  T.,  jun.,  80. 

Acton,  Suffolk,  27,  29,  30,  89. 

Agricultural  Meeting,  Canterbury,  297. 

Airy's  Lectures,  75. 

Albert  Durer,  276,  313. 

Albert,  Prince  Consort,  204,  239,  33 1, 

338—341,  378. 
Albertinelli,  376. 
Al fieri,  329. 
Alford,  A.  0.,  122,  134, 143,  157,  160, 

178,  183—191,  196,  288,  349,  388. 
Alford,  Rev.  B.  H.,  112,  210,  275,  288, 

298,  340—343,  355,  368,  427,  454, 

458. 
Alford,  C.  H.  0.,  134,  136—138,  143, 

165,  196,  288,  349. 
Alford,  Right  Rev.  C.  R.,  394. 
Alford,  Rev.  D.  P.,  415,  472. 
Alford,  Miss  E.  M.,  406,  414,  438,  440, 

448,  455,  457,  460,  467,  472. 
Alford,  Miss  H.  E.,  365,  433,  456,  460, 

469. 
Alford,  Rev.  S.,  Dean  of  St.  Burians,!. 
Alford,  Mrs.  [Ilminster],  7,  27. 
Alford,  Rev.  S.  [Heale  House],  1,  2, 

7,  26,  71,  189,  238,  244. 
Alford,  Mrs.  [Heale  House],  244. 
Alford,  Rev.    H.,  2—10,    12,  17,  19— 

21,  26,  31,  42,  43,  48,  49,  65,-90,  99, 

100,  105,  110,   112,  142,   149,   173, 

182,  185,   186,  189,  203,  205,  206, 

208,  238,  487,  490. 
Alford,  Mrs.  H.  [Miss  S.  E.  Paget], 

2—4,  20,  23. 
Alford,    Mrs.    H.   [Miss  Barber],  72, 

289,  394,  427. 
Alford,  Miss,  10,  52,  166,  299, 
Alford,  Ml'.  R.,  400. 
Alford,  Rev.  S.,  134,  456. 
Alford,  Mr.  S.  S.,  171, 189. 
Alford,  Rev.  T.  [Ashill],  1. 
Alford,  Rev.  T.  [Curry  Rivoll],  1. 
Alford,  Rev.  W.,  17,  18,  28,  29,  32,  37, 

39,  43,  41,  47,  52,  59,  70,  136,  185, 

214. 


Alford,  Henry,  Dean  of  Canterbury, 
Birth  and  parentage,  1 — 3.  School 
life,  7,  8,  12—29.  Early  pursuits, 
5,  19.  With  a  private  tutor,  29— 
33.  Goes  to  Trinity  College,  Cam- 
bridge, 34.  Course  of  reading  there, 
37,  44,  79.  Academical  distinction, 
50,  69,  74,  99.  First  publishes 
poems,  83.  Takes  pupils,  82.  Or- 
dained deacon,  91.  Ordained  priest, 
99.  Curacy,  93.  Vicar  of  Wymes- 
wold,  100.  Marriage,  101.  De- 
signs the  building  of  an  infant  school 
and  national  school  at  Wymeswold, 
107,  114.  First  Continental  tour, 
110.  Edits  Donne's  works,  112. 
Compiles  two  hymn  books  for 
Wymeswold,  107, 135.  Becomes  an 
Examiner  in  the  University  of 
London,  134.  Edits  Dearden's  Mis- 
cellany, 114,  121.  Visitation  ser- 
mon, 122.  Correspondence  with 
B.  Mott,  124.  Hulsean  Lecturer, 
132.  Tours  on  the  Continent,  134. 
Loss  of  his  youngest  child,  136. 
New  vicarage,  134,  138.  Restora- 
tion of  Wymeswold  church,  138, 146. 
Begins  editing  the  Greek  Testament, 
141,  144.  Gives  lectures,  153,  207. 
Publishes  a  volume  of  sermons,  153. 
His  lectures  on  the  Fifth  Command- 
ment, 173.  Gives  up  taking  pupils, 
178.  Publishes  a  second  volume  of 
sermons,  179.  First  volume  of 
Greek  Testament  published,  179. 
Death  of  his  son,  183.  Three 
months'  sojourn  in  town,  208.  Loses 
his  father,  211.  Negotiations  about 
Quebec  Chapel,  219.  Leaves  Wy- 
meswold for  London,  234.  His 
uncle's  death,  238.  Quebec  Chapel 
sermons,  237,  238.  Lectm-es  in 
Exeter  Hall,  243.  Greek  classes, 
243.  Pyrenean  tour,  246.  Sab- 
bath question,  258.  Scotch  tour, 
260.  Revises  certain  Books  of  the 
New  Testament,  262.  Accepts  the 
Deanery  of  Canterbury,  268.     Tour 


534 


Index. 


in  Germany,  274.  Attends  the 
Evangelical  Alliance  at  Berlin,  277. 
Takes  his  D.D.  degree,  288.  Second 
Scotch  tour,  290.  Visits  Cornwall, 
297.  Finishes  his  Greek  Testament, 
302.  First  visit  to  Kome,  302. 
First  preaches  before  the  Queen, 
334.  Sojourn  at  the  Lakes,  336. 
Visits  the  Eiviera,  344.  Eldest 
daughter's  marriage,  348.  Visits 
Svritzerland,  350.  At  Abp.Longley's 
Enthronement  in  Canterbury  Cathe- 
dral, 357.  Preaches  at  a  conse- 
cration in  Canterbury  Cathedral, 
361.  Spends  a  winter  in  Rome,  365. 
Interview  with  the  Queen  at  Wind- 
sor, 378.  A  tour  in  France,  380. 
At  Norwich  Congress,  385.  Takes 
a  house  at  Brasted,  387.  Marriage 
of  his  second  daughter,  387,  394. 
Goes  to  the  Riviera,  396.  Preaches 
again  before  the  Queen,  399.  Visits 
the  West  of  England  and  Salisbuiy, 
402.  Lectures  at  Glasgow,  405. 
Assists  at  ordinations  at  Canterbury, 
408.  Riviera  again,  409.  Attends 
the  Centenary  celebration  at  Ches- 
hunt  College,  413.  Visits  the  Isles 
of  Scilly,  415.  Proposes  visiting 
the  Holy  Land,  417.  Assists  at  the 
Enthi'onement  of  Ai-chbishop  Tait, 
420.  Again  visits  the  Riviera,  422. 
Publishes  a  revised  version  of  the 
New  Testament,  425.  Last  visits 
to  the  Riviera,  427.  Lectures  at 
Leeds,  Liverpool,  and  Bradford,  432, 
433.  Preparing  three  illustrated 
-  books,  433,  434,  442,  458.  Begins 
Commentary  on  the  Old  Testament, 
438.  Preaches  at  St.  Paul's,  439. 
Preaches  at  the  Bishop  of  Dover's 
consecration,  440.  On  the  Continent, 
444.  Visits  Scotland,  451.  Last  stay 
at  Vines  Gate,  451,  461.  Preaches 
Sermons  on  the  War,  463.  Preaches 
for  the  last  time  before  the   Queen, 

464.  Failing  health,  gives  up  work, 

465.  Death,  477.  Funeral,  479. 
Remarks  on  his  character  and 
works,  483. 

Alford,  Henry,  Dean  of  Canterbury, 
Correspondence  of.  Letters  to  his 
father,  9,  26,  48,  99,  100,  110,  112, 
142,  149,  173,  182,  185,  189,  203, 
205,  206,  208.  To  his  aunt  [Mrs. 
Freeman],  9,  12,  270.  To  Mary 
Alford  [Mrs.  Trenchard],  25,  102. 
To  R.  S.  Alford  [Mrs.  Morgan],  37, 
38,  41.  To  Mrs.  R.  Gibson,  68.  To 
Rev.  W.  Alford,  17,  18,  28,  29,  32, 
37,  89,  44,  47,  136,  185.     To.   Mr. 


S.  S.  Alford,  189.  To  his  Wife,  15, 
45,  49,  50,  53,  66,  81,  83,  87,  93,  94, 
97,  99,  101,  143,  144,  147,  150,  151, 
157,  162,   164,    180,   211,  213,  219, 

274,  302,  304,  305,  310—322,  324— 
332,  347,  378,  391,  397,  401,  405, 
409—412,  415,  422,  423,  427,  429, 
432,  453,  458,  461,  464.  To  Arch- 
deacon  Allen,  53,  70,  83,  98.  To 
Dean  Merivale,  92,  102,  103,  145, 
190,  200,  269,  285.  To  Lady  Milli- 
cent  Barber,  72.  To  Rev.  E.  T. 
Vaughan,  137,  186,  226,  236,  245, 
283,  289,  347,  379,  402.  To  his  Son, 
134,  143.  To  Eliza  Mott  [Mrs. 
Martin],  126—130,    142,    143,    150, 

198.  To  Archbishop  Trench,  145, 

199.  To  some  parishioners,  151, 
152,  155,  167—169,  171.  To 
Bishop  Pepys,  163.  To  Miss  Alford, 
166.  About  a  curate,  170.  About 
private  judgment,  177.  To  Arch- 
deacon Hare,  174.  To  jjupils,  154, 
175.  To  Dowager  Lady  Sitwell, 
186,  190.     To  Archdeacon  Fearon, 

186,  261.     To  Rev.  J.  Bickersteth, 

187.  To  Canon  Hamilton,  188,  238, 
313,  348,  365,  366,  370,  372,  386, 
387,  392,  396,  399,  400,  441, 
442,  465.  To  Dr.  Davidson,  193. 
To  Rev.  J.  H.  Moultrie,  193.  To  an 
American  gentleman,  194.  To  Rev. 
J.  Cunningham,  195.  To  Hon.  C. 
Spring  Rice,  196.  To  B.  H.  Nor- 
man, Esq.,  201.  To  Dr.  Tischen- 
dorf,  202.  To  J.  Ruskin,  Esq.,  202. 
To  Dr.  Kitto,  203.  To  J.  H.  Gurney, 
209.  To  Mrs.  Alford,  214.  To  his 
eldest  daughter,  214,  224,  303,  309, 
344,  348,  350,  367,  371,  374,  377, 
379,  410,  415,  425,  430,  432,  467. 
To  his  youngest  daughter,  212,  215, 
222,  296,  303,  362,  404,  405,  414, 
430,  468.  To  Ai'chdeacon  Bicker- 
steth, 221,  448.  To  J.  Pi  ice,  Esq., 
242.  To  his  Greek  class,  257. 
About  the  poor  in  his  London  dis- 
trict, 267.     To  Rev.  B.  H.  Alford, 

275,  288,  298,  341—343,  355,  368. 
To  Bishop  Moberly,  278,  280. 
About  a  window  in  Canterburv 
Cathedral,  293.  To  Rev.  W.  H. 
Gurney,  272,  309,  334,  381.  To 
Canon  Robertson,  310,  367,  368,  373, 
384.  To  Rev.  W.  T.  Bullock,  376, 
439.  To  Miss  Von  Stadlinger,  393, 
452.  To  his  grandchildren,  395, 
396.  To  Miss  Leycester,  403.  To 
Rev.  R.  P.  Graves,  412,  431.  To 
Dr.  Allon,  413,  431,  434,  459.  To 
Miss  E.  M.  Alford,  414,  438,  440, 


Index. 


535 


448,  455,  457,  460,   467,   472.     To 

Miss  H.  E.  Alford,  433,  456,  460, 

469.     To  W.  F.  Morgan,  Esq.,  447. 

To  Mrs.   J.  CunlifFe,  432.     To  Eev. 

D.  P.  Alford,  472. 
Alfred,  King,  26,  342. 
Alison,  Sir  Ai-cliibald,  204,  248,  249. 
Allen,  Archdeacon,  50,  53,  70,  74,  83, 

98. 
Allen,  Rev.  J.,  14,  51,  53,  115,  239. 
Allen,  Mrs.  J.,  14. 
Allon,  Dr.,  413,  431,  434,  459. 
Amherst,  Lord,  386,  390. 
Amiens,  178,  350. 
Ammergau  Play,  450,  451,  453. 
Ampton,  12,  17,  27,  33,  59,  65,  72,  82, 

84,  87,  89-91,  97,  98,  102,  112, 114, 

284. 
Andi-ea  del  Sarto,  329,  478. 
Angelo,  Michael,  240,  308,  328. 
Angus,  Dr.,  425. 
Antonelli,  315,  316. 
Antonio,  Doctor,  398,  410. 
Aquinas,  St.  Thomas,  303. 
Archffiological  Society,  286,  414. 
Argyll,  Duke  of,  209,  256,  374,  395. 
Arkansas,  Bishop  of,  402. 
Ai-udt,  Professor,  161,  162. 
Arnold,  Dr.,  141,  204. 
Arnold,  Mrs.,  336,  337. 
Aston  Sandford,  114. 
Athol,  Duke  of,  261. 
Augustine's,  St.,  College,  Canterbury, 

338,  363,  408,  414,  421. 
Aurora  Borealis,  34,  67,  68,  458,  460. 
Avignon,  253,  254,  409. 
Ayre,  Eev.  J.  W.,  262. 

Bailey,  Eev.  Dr.  H.,  338. 

Baldwin  and  Cradock,  19. 

Balmoral,  260,  262. 

Barber,  Lady  Millicent,  72. 

Barber,  Miss,  72. 

Baring,  Dr.  [Bishop  of  Durham,]  245. 

Barnard,  Lord,  27. 

Bamett  and  Hoare,  252. 

Barrow,  Dr.,  263. 

Barry,  Dr.,  439. 

Bartolomeo,  Era,  829. 

Battye,  Dr.,  465—468. 

Beccafumi,  367. 

Belgium,  Leopold,  King  of,  334. 

Bell,  M.,  Esq.,  392. 

Bell  and  Deighton,  435,  437. 

Belper,  Lord,  261. 

Belper,  Lady,  216. 

Belvoir  Castle,  180. 

Bennett,  Sir  Sterndale,  360. 

Benyou  de  Beauvoir,  E.,  Esq.,  27. 

Berkeley,  Bishop,  97. 

Bernard,  St.,  303. 


Bernstoff,  Count,  458,  459. 
Bettshanger,  458. 
Beveridge,  Bishop,  69. 
Biblical  Dictionary,  287. 
Bickersteth,  Rev.  J.,  27,  30—34, 187. 
Bickersteth  [Bishop],  271. 
Bickersteth  [Archdeacon],  82,  89,  91, 

221,  363,  441,  447,  418,  465,  466. 
Bickersteth,  Eev.  E.  H.,  417. 
Binney,  Dr.,  413. 
Black  Prince,  364. 
Blackburn,  Professor  H.,  405. 
Blackwood's  Magazine,  106, 
Blakesley,  Dean,  60,  61,  377,  381. 
Blomfield,  Bishop,  132,  222. 
Bloomfield's  Greek  Testament,  179. 
Bonn,  156. 
Bordeaux,  247. 
Boyd,  Dr.,  384. 
Bracebridge,  Mr.,  241. 
Bracebridge,  Mrs.,  241. 
Bramford,  425,  427,  439,  453,  464. 
Bright,  John,  the  Right  Hon.,  426. 
Brinckman,  Captain,  479. 
Bristol,  73,  91,  120,  240,  377,  430,  446. 
British  Museum,  294,  435. 
Brodie,  Sir  B.,  481. 
Bromby,  C.  H.  [Bishop  of  Tasmania], 

377. 
Brookfield,  Rev.  W.  H.,  61,  262. 
Brougham,  Lord,  346,  398. 
Brown,  Montague,  Esq.,  424. 
Browning,  Mrs.  B.,  218. 
Bryant,  Mrs.,  346. 

Buckingham  Palace,  257, 284,  334, 449. 
Buckland,  Professor,  10. 
BuUers  of  Buchan,  451,  453. 
Bullock,  Rev.  W.  T.,  302,  317,    318, 

344,   347,  352,  354,  375,  376,  400, 

439,  455. 
Bullock,  Mi'S.,  ]08,  136,  208,  209,  214, 

224,  303,  309,  344,    348,  350,  352, 

354,  367,   371,   374,  377,  379,  410, 

415,  425,  430,  432,  455,  467,  474. 
Bunbury,  J.  E.,  406. 
Bunsen,  Baron,  159,  217,  277,  353. 
Burgon,  Rev.  J.,  217,  302,  436. 
Burrows,  Mr.,  50,  71. 
Burton  \_tiee  Pynsent]. 
Bm-ton's  New  Testament,  179. 
Butler,  Rev.  D.,  338. 
Butler's  Analogy,  97. 
Buttmann,  145. 

Buxton,  Charles,  133,  229,  256. 
Byron,  Lord,  24,  29,  115,  318. 

Caird,  Dr.,  405. 

Calthorpe,  Lord,  12,  13,  17,  27,  31,  33, 

40,  67,  94. 
Calthorpe,  Lady  Charlotte,  27. 
Calthorpe,  Mr.,  27. 


536 


Index. 


Calthorpo,  Miss,  34. 

Cambridge,  31—34, 41,  43,  44,  49,  59— 

61,  69,  71,  74,  84,  85,  87,  89,  94,  95, 

102,  284,  288,  301,  390,  487,  489. 
Camden,  Lord,  362. 
Cameron,  Mr.,  61. 
Camilleri,  Dr.,  338. 
Cannes,  346,  396,  398,  409. 
Canterbury  Cathedral,  281,  285,  286, 

288,   295,  298,  338,  341,  348,  357, 

360,  361,  363,  364,  404,  420,   421, 

479,  490,  491,  506,  507. 
Canterbury   Deanery,   117,    274,  286, 

287,  294,  299,  301,  360,  363,  377, 

381,  385,  414,  421,  477,  490,  506. 
Canterbury   Diocesan   Choral   Union, 

349,  399,  446. 
Canterbury  Harmonic  Union,  364, 378, 

381,  382,  413,  436,  439,  464,   472, 

475,  479. 
Canterbury  Mission,  392,  393,  408. 
Carlisle,  Lord,  209. 
Carlyle,  Thomas,  460. 
Carnegie  [Mr.,  of  Strom var],  383. 
Caroline,  Queen,  8. 
Carpenter,  Dr.,  435. 
Carracci,  Annibal,  314. 
Catacombs,  314. 
Certosa,  429. 

Chalmers,  Dr.,  59,  67,  173. 
Channing,  Dr.,  127. 
Charles  Albert,  398. 
Charles  II.,  71. 

Charlotte,  Princess  of  Wales,  341. 
Charmouth,  7,  9,  10,  117,  240. 
Chartres,  380. 
Chartreuse,  428. 
Chatham  Family,  1,  2,  51,  188. 
Cheddar  Cliffs,  70,  239,  254. 
Cheshunt  College,  413. 
Chesshyre,  Canon,  286,  288. 
Children  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,    110, 

433,431,437. 
Choir  Benevolent  Fund,  427. 
Cholera,  239—241. 
Christian  Examiner,  194. 
Christian  Observer,  195,  200,  207. 
Chi'istian   Eemembrancer,    201 — 206, 

495. 
Christ's  Hospital,  82. 
Christie,  Mr.,  50. 
Crystal  Palace,  Hyde  Park,  201,  207, 

209,  340. 
Crystal  Palace,  Sydenham,  238. 
Cicero,  54,  321,  459. 
Claude,  322. 

Clergy  Orphan  School,  362, 421. 
Coddington's  Lectures,  35. 
Codex  Aureus,  354. 
Codex  Vaticanus,  310. 
Colenso,  Bishop,  355,  356. 


Coleridge,  S.  T.,  60,  62,  70,  90. 
Coliseum,  310,  311,  320,  322. 
Colquhoun,  J.  C,  Esq.,  441. 
Confirmations,  15,  18,  224,  225. 
Congress,  Bristol,  377. 
Congress,  Norwich,  382,  384. 
CongTess,  York,  392. 
Consecrations,  Canterbury,  361,  377, 

394. 
Constantinople,  256,  257. 
Contemporary   Eeview,   8,    363,   382, 

384,  386,  387,  391,   392,  409,  418, 

419,  426,  438,  449,  489,  492,  505. 
Continent  [State  of,  1848],  162. 
Continental  Tours,  110,  134, 147, 178, 

246,   275,   302,  345,  349,  365,  381, 

396,  409,  422,  427,  443. 
Convocations,  264,  273, 440—44.2,  447, 

449. 
Coutoir  [Banker,  Toulouse],  252. 
Cook,  Canon,  262. 
Cooper,  Sidney,  Esq.,  427. 
Co^vper,  Hon.  W.,  395. 
Cowper,  Hon.  Mrs.  W.,  395. 
Cowper,  W.,  115. 
Cornwall,  297,  388,  401,  416,  443. 
Cotton,  Bishop,  286. 
Cranach,  Lucas,  276. 
Cranmer,  353. 
Cranworth,  Lord,  244,  335. 
Crimean  War,  241. 
Crowther,  Bishop,  377. 
Critic,  217. 
Cruso,    Rev.  H.  E.  T.,  387,  388,   394, 

425,  439,  446. 
Cruso,  Mrs.,  113,  208,  209,  212,  215, 

222,   296,  303,  362,  394,   405,  414, 

430,  468. 
Crusoe,  Robinson,  437. 
Cumming,  Dr.,  209. 
Cunliffe,  J.,  Esq.,  460. 
Cunliffe,  Mrs.  J.,  432,  435,  460. 
Cunningham,  Rev.  J.,  195,  236. 
Cure  d'Ars,  407,  409,  412. 
Curry  Rivell,   1,  2,  14,  77,  101,  165, 

214,  215,  238,  240,  297. 

Dalby,  Rev.  R.,  146. 

Dante,  86,  148,  329,  376. 

Dearden's     Miscellany,    10,    24,  109, 

118—121. 
De  Liefd^  Mr.,  402. 
De  Lisle,  Lord,  362. 
De  Wette,  175,  496. 
Deighton,  Cambridge,  83,  103. 
Denison,  Archdeacon,  439,  447. 
Derby,  Lord,  286,  433. 
Devonshire,  Duke  of,  209. 
Dickinson,  Lowes,  Esq.,  348,  390. 
Disraeli,  Rt.  Hon.  B.,  181,  217,  400. 
Distressed  Operatives,  Lancashire,  346. 


Index. 


537 


Dixon,  J.,  Esq.,  456,  457. 

Donne's  Works,  112. 

Doruer,  Prof.,  161. 

Draper,  Dr.,  413. 

Drayton,  8,  136,  400. 

Dufferin,  Lord,  256. 

Duke  of  Edinbiu-gh,  411. 

Dunster,  79,  363. 

Dutt,  Mr.  Govin  Chunder,  461. 

Eardley,   Sir  Culling,  244,  277,  284, 

361. 
Ecclesiastical    Commission,  273,    363, 

381,  392,  394,  399,  435. 
Edinburgh  Review,  104,  197,  200, 205, 

211,  217,  237,  240. 
Education  [National],  121,  442,   456, 

464,  476. 
Edward  I.,  61. 
Edward  III.,  247. 
Edward  VI.,  446,  447. 
Elgar,  John,  473. 
Elgin,  Lord,  256. 
Eliot,  Lord,  1. 
Eilicott,  Bishop,  245,  264,   272,  295, 

357,  361, 431,  446,  494. 
Elliott,  Eev.  E.,  217. 
Empress  [Ex-]  of  the  French,  428. 
English  Club,  65,  505. 
Enmore  Castle,  70. 
Enthronements,  Canterbury,  357,  420, 

421. 
Erasmus,  364. 

Essays  and  Addresses,  377, 427. 
Essays  and  Reviews,  348. 
Evangelical  Alliance,  275,  279., 
Evans,  Archdeacon,  35,  36,  74,  77,  84, 

85. 
Exeter,  91,  388. 
Exeter  Hall,  240,  392. 

Falconer's  Shipwreck,  20,  21. 

Farish,  Professor,  35. 

Farley  Castle,  239. 

Faulhorn,  352. 

Fearon,  Archdeacon,  186, 230,  261, 382. 

Felix  NefiF,  87. 

Felix,  Pere,  398. 

Field,  Mr.  [Boston,  U.  S.],  218. 

Fireside  Homilies,  184,  416,  419,  448, 

461,  478. 
Fischer,  Peter,  276. 
Fitz-Walter,  Lord,  385. 
Fitz-Walter,  Lady,  385. 
Florence,  326,  327,  376. 
Foley,  H.,  Esq.  [Ersham  House],  436. 
Fontainebleau,  255. 
Forster,  Rt.  Hon.  W.  E.,  444. 
Francis  I.,  247. 
Francjois  de  Sales,  St.,  303. 
Franklin,  Sir  John,  337. 


Franklin,  Lady,  382. 
Frederick  the  Great,  303,  353. 
French  Revolutions,  56,  78,  120,  162, 

207,  452,  457,  459. 
Frewen  Turner,  Esq.,  31. 
Fulham  Palace,  269,  302,  381. 

Galileo,  329. 

Geary,  Eev.  E.,  437. 

Genoa,  332,  366,  423. 

George  IV.,  51,  53. 

Gethsemane,  319. 

Gibbon,  79,  82. 

Gibraltar,  Bishop  of,  422. 

Gibson,  316. 

Gillett,  Rev.  G.  E.,  146, 

Gilpin,  John,  437. 

Giotto,  328. 

Gladstone,  Right  Hon.  W.  E.,  132, 395. 

Gladstone,  Mrs.,  395. 

Glasgow,  404,  4^5. 

Glastonbury,  70,  239. 

Gleig,  Rev.  G.  R.,  246,  295. 

Glover,  Rev.  F.,  160. 

Goldcut,  Mr.,  42. 

Good  Words,  365,  374,  375,  380,  381, 

416. 438. 
Goodwin,  Bishop,  290,  385,  508. 
Goodwin,  Mrs.,  290. 
Goulburn,  Rt.  Hon.  H.,  108. 
Goulbm-n,  Dean,  425. 
Grafton,  Rev.  A.  W.,  287. 
Graves,  Rev.  R.  P.,  337,  412,  431. 
Graves,  Mrs.,  337. 
Gregory  XVI.,  319. 
Grey,  Lord,  64. 
Grey,  Lady  Jane,  353. 
Griffith,  Dr.,  447. 
Guardian,  205,  302,  437. 
Guide,  312,  313,  320,  322. 
Guido  da  Siena,  367. 
Gurney,  S.,  Esq.,  34. 
Gurney,  Lady  Harriet,  34. 
Gurney,    Rev.    J.  H.,   209,  219,    235, 

245,  258,  343,  347,  418. 
Gurney,    Rev.  W.  H.,   228,  272,  309, 

334,  381. 

Hadow,  Rev.  J.  H.,  298. 

Hake,  Rev.  R.,  287, 364,  379,  380,  381, 

383,  391,  458,  470,  474. 
Hake,  Mrs.,  383,  458. 
Halford,  Sir  H.,  217. 
Hall,  Rev.  Newman,  413. 
Hallam,  Henry,  Esq.,  190,  192,  256. 
Hallam,  H.  Arthur,  61,  65,  67,  83,  92, 

93,  105,  165,  192. 
Hallam,  H.  F.,  134,  190—192. 
Hallowes,  P.  B.,  Esq.,  474,  476. 
Hamilton,  Bishop,  399,  402. 
Hamilton,  Mrs.,  402. 


538 


Index. 


Hamilton,  Buchanan,  Esq.,  384. 
Hamilton,  Canon,   146,   188,  209,  234, 

238,  343,   318,  365,  366,  369,    370, 

372,  386,  387,   391,  392,    399,    400, 

441,  442,  458,  465,  466. 
Hamilton,  Mrs.,  188. 
Hamilton,  Miss,  441. 
Hammersmith,  12,  14. 
Hampden,  Dr.,  151. 
Handel,  303,  509. 
Hannibal,  376. 
Hare,  Eev.  A.,  313. 
Hare,  Mrs.  A.,  260,  398,  456. 
Hare,  Archdeacon  J.,  132,  174. 
Hare,  Aug.  J.  C,  260,  372,  398,  456. 
Harford,  J.  S.,  Esq.,  240. 
Harford,  Mrs.,  240. 
Harrison,  Mr.,  449. 
Harrison,  Archdeacon,  269,  270,  363, 

421,  436,  480. 
Harrison,  Mrs.,  270,  363,  436. 
Harrow,  236,  239. 
Harrowby,  Lord,  209. 
Hart,  Mr.,  415. 
Hawkins,  Rev.  Emest,  262. 
Hay,  Lord  Thomas,  422. 
Heale  House,  1,  7,  26,  27,  51,  53,  70, 

71,  73,  79,  89,  108,  116,  117,  164, 

188,  214,  238,  239. 
Heath,  Douglas,  Esq.,  60,  74. 
Heber,  Bishop,  28. 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  337. 
Henderson,  Miss,  442. 
Henry  II.  [of  France],  247. 
Henry  IV.  [of  France],  249. 
Herbert,  George,  87. 
Hervey,    Lord  Arthur    [Bishop],    34, 

382,  464. 
Hervey' s  Meditations,  20,  21. 
Hey,  Rev.  S.,  6. 
Hildebrand,  374. 
Hill,  Canon,  146. 

Hiltons,  Captain  [Nackington],  436. 
Hodge,  Rev.  C,  294. 
Hodson,  Mr.,  35,  43. 
Hole,  Miss,  436,  469. 
Holland,    Sir   Henry,    251,   268,   275, 

296. 
Holland,  Lady,  251. 
Holland,  Rev.  F.  J.,  147. 
Holman  Hunt,  313. 
Hooker,  77,  464. 

Hope,  A.  J.  B.  Beresford,  Esq.,  385. 
Hope,  Lady  Mildred,  385. 
Horace,  319,  373. 
Hosmer,  Miss,  317. 
Houghton,  Lord,  250. 
Houses  of  Parliament,  99,  120. 
Howarth,  Rev.  H.,  262. 
Hug,  145. 
Hulsean  Lectures,  132. 


Hume,  David,  Esq.,  209. 
Humphry,  Rev.  W.  G.,  262,  479. 
Huntingdon,  Lady,  413. 
Huss  [Reformer],  353. 
Hutchinson,  General,  298,  363. 
Hutchinson,  Mrs.,  298,  363. 
Huxley,  Rev.  T.  S.,  147,  461,  469,  470. 
Huxley,  Mrs.,  469. 

Hymn  Books,  107,  135,  382,  386,  391, 
404. 

Ignatius,  322,  328. 

Ilminster,  7,  14,  24,  27,  29,  51,  55,  71, 

115,  181,  239,  407. 
Innocent  XII.,  320. 
Invertrosachs,  260,  382. 
Irving,  Rev.  E.,  46,  88. 
Isles  of  Scilly,  415,  416. 

Jackson,  Bishop,  421. 
Jeans,  Rev.  B.,  8. 
Jenkins,  Canon,  436. 
Jeremie,  Dean,  181,  290,  439. 
Jerusalem,  208,   264,   275,    320,   328, 

330,  481. 
Jeune,  Bishop,  377. 
Johnson,  Samuel,  454. 
Josephine,  252. 
Justinian,  376. 

Kaye,  Bishop,  112, 124,  142. 

Keats,  313. 

Keble,  335. 

Kemble,  J.,  Esq.,  83. 

Kennedy,  Dr.,  74. 

Kensington  Palace,  442,  461,  473. 

Killicrankie,  261,  454. 

King's  College,  145,  295,  296. 

King's  School  and  Scholars,  360,  362, 

390,  436,  448,  464. 
Kinglake,  Mr.,  61. 
Kinnaird,  Hon.  A.,  268. 
Kinsman,  Rev.  R.  B.,  297,  415. 
Kitto,  Dr.,  203. 
Knowle,  363. 
Kraft,  Adam,  276. 
Kugler,  308. 

Lachmann,  145. 

Lakes,  English,  336. 

Lambeth  Palace,  269,  287,  296,  396, 

426. 
Landseer,  204,  426. 
Lavater,  353. 

Lectionary,  New,  442,  503. 
Lectures,  153,  207,209,  218,  236,  237, 

213,  268,  284,   285,  297,  392,  403, 

404,  412,  436,  488. 
Le  Marchant,  Mr.,  436. 
Lee,  Bishop,  437. 
Lee  Warner,  Rev.  G.  B.,  285,  483. 


Index. 


539 


Leighton,  GO. 

Leitch,  Mr.,  jun.,  268,  288. 

Leonardo  da  Vinci,  313,  322,  434. 

Letters  from  Abroad,  259,  314,  365. 

Leycester,  Miss,  260,  398,  403,  442. 

Liddou,  Eev.  H.  P.,  334. 

Lincoln,  228,  290. 

Linton,  70,  172. 

Literary  Fund,  285,  427. 

Lochee,  Dr.,  476. 

Lollards'  Tower,  396. 

Longieat,  53. 

Long-ley,   Ai'chbisLop,  357,    360,  363, 

390,  392,  396,  408,  416,  417. 
Longley,  H.,  Esq.,  396. 
Longley,  Miss,  363. 
Longhurst,  Mr.,  378,  379,  442. 
Lougmire,  Rev.  Mr.,  19. 
London  University,  134,  151,  205. 
Louis  XL,  246. 

Louis  Philippe,  247,  249,  255. 
Louvre,  855. 
Lucas,  Mr.,  422. 
Luther,  276,  278,  354. 
Luxembourg  Palace,  355. 

Macaulay,  Lord,  295. 

Macdonald,  G.,  Esq.,  402. 

Macgregor,  J.,  Esq.,  436. 

Mackenzie,  Bishop,  298. 

Maclagan,  Rev.  W.  D.,  383. 

Macleod,  Dr.  Norman,  395,  402. 

Macnaughten,  S.,  Esq.,  260,  382,  383. 

Macrorie,  Bishop,  418. 

Maintenon,  Madame,  303. 

Maison  Carree,  253. 

Manning,  Mrs.  [Speir],  257,  260. 

Maria  Theresa,  Empress,  276. 

Mario,  Sig.,  449. 

Marriott,  Rev.  W.  B.,  461. 

Martin,  Rev.  J.,  207. 

Martin,  Mrs.  [Mott],  124, 131, 142, 145, 

150, 167, 198, 207, 225,  239,  240,  363. 
Martin,  St.,  Churchyard,  288, 417,  421, 

479,  480,  494,  510. 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  290. 
Mason,  Mr.,  43. 
Masque,  301. 

Maurice,  Rev.  F.  D.,  133,  262. 
Medici,  327. 
Medley  [Bishop],  143. 
Meek,  Rev.  R.,  146. 
Melanchthon,  278. 
Melvill,  Rev.  H.,  36. 
Memorial  Windows,  138, 186,  227,  288, 

481. 
Mendelssohn,  290,  509. 
Mercy,  Mr.,  7. 
Merivale,  Dean,  60,  75,  79,  92,  103, 

134,  145,   183,   190,  200,  218,  219, 

247,  269,  479,  485,  486,  489. 


Merivale,  Mrs.,  183. 

Metaphysical,  435,  449,  464. 

Metz,  354. 

Mever,  496. 

Michael  Angelo,  240,  308,  328,  329. 

Michael's  Mount,  St.,  297, 473, 474,478, 

506. 
Migne,  Abbe,  334,  354,  478. 
Miller,  Canon,  393. 
Milman,  Bishop,  393. 
Milman,  Dean,  251,  302. 
Milman,  Rev.  W.  H.,  251. 
Milton,  30,  S3,  132,  182,  213, 285,  297, 

329. 
Mitchell,  Philip,  184. 
Mitchinson,  Dr.,  392. 
Moberly,  Bishop,  263,  278,  280. 
Mont  Cenis,  332,  333,  429. 
Monte  Cassino,  373. 
Morgan,  W.  F.,  447, 
Morgan,  Mrs.,  10,  37,  38,41. 
Moore,  Canon,  377. 
More,  Hannah,  69. 
Mores  Catholici,  86. 
Mosheim,  93. 

Moultrie,  Rev.  J.,  105,  193. 
Moultrie,  Mrs.,  218. 
Mount  Sinai,  289. 
Muchelney,  26,  82. 
Mules,  Rev.  P.,  181. 
Mullins,  Dr.,  402. 
Myers,  Mrs.,  432. 

Napier,  Miss,  337. 

Naples,  289,  374,  376. 

Naples,  King  of,  310. 

Napoleon  I.,  7,  252,  255. 

Napoleon  III.,  162,  246,255,355,  368, 

371,  454,  457. 
Nelson,  44,  55,  56. 
Nero,  317. 
Nether  Stowey,  70. 
Netherton-on-Sea,  407,  409. 
New  Zealand,  112. 
Nice,  341,  344,  345,  306,  398. 
Nicolo  da  Pisa,  368. 
Niebuhr,  79,  80. 
Nightingale,  Mr.,  241. 
Nightingale,  Miss,  241. 
Nitsson,  Mile.  Chinstine,  449. 
Nitzsch,  Prof.  G.,  161. 
Norman,  B.  H.,  Esq.,  201. 
Norman,  Mrs.  B.  H.,  165. 
Norwich,  Bishop  of,  91. 
Nottingham,  153,  177. 
Nuremburg,  147,  275,  276- 

Oakley,  Rev.  J.,  413. 
Odyssey,  181,  183,  196,  336,  313. 
CEcumenical  Council,  Rome,  '434. 
Oliver  Cromwell,  329. 


540 


Index. 


Ollivant  [Bishop],  181. 

Olshausen,  145,  174. 

Orvieto,  367,  368. 

Ostia,  371. 

Our  Lord  and  His  disciples,  434. 

Ouseley,  Rev.  Sir  F.  G.,  391. 

Overbeck,  308. 

Over  Stowey,  89,  90. 

Oxford,  155,  288,  348,  361. 

Paget,  Rev.  T.  B.  [Vicar  of  Welton], 
50,  79,  80. 

Paget,  Miss  Cordelia,  39. 

Paestum,  375. 

Palestine,  204,  381,  417,  427,  433,  447. 

Pall  Mall  Gazette,  427. 

Palmerston,  Lord,  268,  270. 

Pan-Anglican  Synod,  402. 

Papal  Aggression,  203,  207. 

Paris,  111,  216,  334,  354,  355,  398, 
422,  445. 

Parker,  Mr.  [of  Oxford],  362. 

Parker,  Mr.  [of  Cambridge],  112. 

Parry,  Dr.  [Bishop  Stifiragan  of 
Dover],  436,  440,  469,  470,  476,  479. 

Parry,  Mrs.,  436,  469. 

Patti,  Madame  Adelina,  449. 

Paul's,  St.,  269,  287,  288,  359,  439. 

Paxton,  Sir  Joseph,  209. 

Payne  Smith,  Dean,  364. 

Peacock  [late  Dean  of  Ely],  35,  43, 
61,  79,  99. 

Peacock,  Mrs.,  290. 

Pearson,  Rev.  H.,  374,  464. 

Peel,  Sir  R.,  182. 

Penshurst,  362. 

Pepys,  Bishop,  163,  165,  223. 

Perugino,  Pietro,  313. 

Peter's,  St.,  305,  307,  311,  312,  320, 
368—370,  374. 

Pfyffers,  Mr.,  363,  364. 

Phillpotts,  Bishop,  91,  290. 

PhiUipps,  Rev.  E.  M.,  153,  229. 

Philological  Museum,  79,  85. 

Pickersgill,  433. 

Pisa,  829,  367. 

Pitt,  William,  1,  2. 

Pius  VI.,  325. 

Pius  IX.,  306,  309,  314,  371. 

Pliny,  459. 

Plumptre,  Rev.  E.  H.,  395,  402. 

Plymouth,  236,  298. 

Poetrv,  orginal,  12,  22—24,  29—31, 
36-^-40,  52,  56, 68, 101,  136, 161, 210, 
285,  339,  358,  375,  397,  399,  455. 

Poetry,  quoted  or  referred  to,  6,  7,  27, 
57,  59,  61,  71,  77,  78,  80,  82,  83,  85 
—88,  90,  92,  93, 101—106, 108—110, 
112—117,  122,  134,  135,  137,  138, 
149,  161,  181,  196,  198,  297,  301, 
339,  354,  359,  365,  419,  479,  480. 

Pompeii,  375. 


Pont  du  Gard,  254. 

Porlock,  70,  79,  89,  99. 

Porteus,  Bishop,  413. 

Portsmouth,  43,  45,  53,  55. 

Portugal,  King  of,  238. 

Poussin,  Gaspar,  325. 

Poussin,  Nicholas,  351. 

Powell  Family,  1. 

Praetorian  Camp,  323. 

Prince  Arthiu-,  363,  378. 

Prince  Leopold,  378. 

Prince  Louis  of  Hesse,  334. 

Prince  of  Prussia  [now  Emperor],  201. 

Prince  of  Wales,  239,  334,  360. 

Princess  Alice  [Louis  of  Hesse],  334. 

Princess  Helena  [Christian],  377,  433. 

Princess      Louisa      [Marchioness     of 

Lome],  377,  433,  458. 
Princess  of  Prussia   [now  Empress], 

204. 
Princess  of  Wales,  360. 
Prussia,    King    of  [Frederic  William 

IV.],  277. 
Prussia,  Queen  of,  277. 
Prussia,  Imperial  Prince  of,  284. 
Prussia,  Imperial  Princess  of,  284. 
Pugin,  A.  W.,  Esq.,  141. 
Pupils,  75,  82,  83,  94,  96,  97,  106,  112, 

114,  133,   134,  147,  149,  178,  191, 

227,  276,  353. 
Pynsent,  Burton,  1,  19,  23,  51,  71, 189. 
Pynsent,  Sir  W.,  51,  71,  188. 
Pyrenees,  246,  451. 

Quarterly  Review,  33,  217. 

Quebec   Chapel,    209,    212,219,   221, 

223,  230,  235—237,    241,  243,  245, 

265,  271,  274,  334,  439,  488. 
Quebec  Chapel  Sermons,  173, 237,  238, 

241—243,  249,  256,   257,  264,  269, 

417,  497. 
Queen  Emma  of  Hawaii,  382. 
Queen  of  the  Netherlands,  382. 
Queen's  College,  208,  285. 
Queen's  English,  297,  359,  377,  438, 

439. 
Queen's  Opera  House,  406. 
Quillinan,  Miss  R.,  336. 
Qiuntilius  Varus,  319. 

Railway  Accidents,  143,  295. 
Raphael,  313,  314,  327,  329. 
Ravello,  375. 
Ravenna,  376. 
Reade,  Rev.  J.  B.,  464. 
Rembrandt,  278. 
Rempstone  Hall,  131,  269. 
Rhodes,  Mr.,  463. 
Richardson,  Sir  John,  337. 
Richmond,  G.,  Esq.,  299. 
Riddell,  Rev.  J.  C.  B.,  398. 
Riddell,  ITon.  Mrs.,  398. 


Index. 


541 


Eiviera,  409,  421,  422,  427,  435,  442, 

458,  481. 
Rivington,  217,  218,  237,  302. 
Roberts,  Rev.  H.,  77. 
Robertson,  Canon,  301,  310,  367,  368, 

373,  384,  436,  470. 
Robertson,  Mrs.,  436. 
Rogers,  395. 
Rokeby,  Lord,  422. 
RoUo,  Lord,  383,  384. 
Rome,  288,  302,  338,  367,  404,  407, 

433,  457. 
Romney,  Lord,  390,  432. 
Rosse,  Lord,  209. 
Rossi,  Count,  180. 
Rossi,  Sign  or,  371. 
Rouen,  380. 

Royal  Academy,  204,  425,  426. 
Rubens,  434. 

Ruskin,  John,  Esq.,  202,  256,  322. 
Russell,  Lord,  203. 
Ryde,  58. 

Sabbath  Question,  258. 

Sachs  Hans,  276. 

Salisbury,  27,  53,  400,  402. 

Saltzburg,  276. 

Salvator  Rosa,  308,  320. 

Sandford,  Rev.  C.  W.,  443. 

Saphir,  Rev.  A.,  402. 

Saravia,  Dr.,  464. 

Sawyer,  Bishop,  394. 

SchafiF,  Dr.,  426,  504. 

Scharf,  G.,  Esq.,  201,  218,  437. 

Schleiermacher,  222. 

Scholefield,  Rev.  Professor,  36,  42, 

Scholtz,  Professor,  161. 

Scotland,  260,  290,  382,  404,  451. 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  21,  62,  384. 

Sebastian,  St.,  313,  322. 

Sebastopol,  253,  255. 

Sedgwick,  Professor,  50. 

Selwyn,  Bishop,  113. 

Selwyn,  Canon,  146,  394. 

Seneca,  67. 

Senior,  N.  W.,  Esq.,  216. 

Sens,  345. 

Seymom-,  Rev.  R.,  385. 

Shaftesbuiy,  Lord,  209,  245. 

Shakspeare,  108,  109,  157. 

Shaw,  B.,  Esq.,  265,  384. 

Shell,  159. 

Shelley,  313. 

Shute,  Mrs.,  9,  10. 

Siena,  191,  326,  367. 

Simeon,  Rev.  C,  20,  34,  36,  37,  42. 

Sitwell,  Dowager  Lady,  131,  186,  190, 

239. 
Smith,  Aiigustus,  Esq.,  415,  416. 
Smith,  Mr.  Burrell,  288,  292,  335, 414, 

415,  451,  454,  458. 
Smith,  Rev.  James,  199. 


Smith-Wright,  J.,  Esq.,  131. 

Smythe,  Professor,  36. 

Socrates,  66. 

Sodoma,  326. 

Somerset  House,  151,  204. 

Sondes,  Lord,  390. 

Sontag,  Madame,  180. 

Southey,  90. 

Spedding,  Mr.,  61. 

Spencer,  Rev.  T.,  90. 

Spenser,  86. 

Sperling,  J.,  Esq.,  258. 

Spring  Rice,  Hon.  C,  112,  196. 

Stanhope,  Lady  Hester,  1. 

Stanhope,  Lord,  2,  51,  256,  386,  458, 

460. 
Stanley,  Dean,  204,  261,  275,  286,  363, 

374,  434,  492. 
Statues,    Canterbury  Cathedral,    341, 

364. 
Steeple  Ashton,  4,  6,  239. 
Stier,  265. 
Stone,  Canon.  470. 
Story,  Mr.,  372. 
Stoughton,  Dr.,  413,  417,  504. 
Strabo,  246. 
Strahan,  Mr.  A.,  363,  375,  391,  435, 

437. 
Stuart,  Rev.  Mr.,  432. 
Stuart,  Mrs.,  432. 
Stubbs,  Mr.,  396. 
Sumner,    Ai'chbishop,   269,  271,   280, 

283,  287,  288,  296,  335,  356. 
Sunday  Magazine,  184,  377,  382,  419, 

448,  505. 
Sydney,  Lord,  390. 

Tait,  Archbishop,  269,  302,  420,  421, 
426,  440,  443,  448,  481,  482. 

Tait,  Mrs.,  445,  481,  482. 

Talbot,  Mons.,  315. 

Tamworth,  3,  23. 

Tarlton,  Rev.  Mr.,  240. 

Taunton,  70,  240,  365,  414. 

Taylor,  Jeremy,  101. 

Teck,  Prince  of,  426. 

Tennant,  Rev.  J.,  61,  65,  69,  70,  82. 

Tennyson,  60,  65,  70,  92,  105,  195, 
256,  436,  440,  505. 

Tennysons,  60. 

Testament,  Greek,  141, 144,  179, 193— 
196,  199—203,  205,  216,  219,  236— 
238,  240,  242,  245,  256,  270,  286, 
287,  296,  302,  334,  357,  359,  381, 
461,  478,  488,  491,  492,  495,  499— 
503,  504. 

Testament  for  English  Readers,  218, 
221,  334,  359,  381,  386—389,  436. 

Testament,  New,  Revised  Version,  118, 
121,  412,  425,  439,  44fl,  443,  446, 
447,  458—461,  461—468,  476,  478, 
494,  498,  503. 


542 


Index. 


Testament,  Old,   437,   438,   451,  456, 

460,  461,  467,  468,  478,  493. 
Testament,  How  to  Study    the  New, 

377,  392,  399. 
Thackeray,  204. 
Theile,  265. 
Thirlwall,  Bishop,  85. 
Theodora,  Empress,  376. 
Theodore,  Emperor,  411, 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  86. 
Thompson,  Dr.  S.,  212. 
Thompson,  Rev.  Dr.,  Master  of  Trinity, 

61,  72,  74,  290. 
Thornton,  H.  S.,  Esq.,  383. 
Thriug,  W.,  Esq.,  26,  28,  29. 
Thring,  Mrs.,  53. 

Times,  140,  289,  295,  431,  442,  460. 
Tinney,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  3. 
Tiutern  Abbey,  95,  240- 
Tischendorf,  289. 
Titian,  313,  322. 
Tonbridge,  178,  186,  211. 
Tonbridge  Wells,  211. 
Torquay,  182,  211. 
Trogelles,  Dr.,  193,  289,  338. 
Trench,    Archbishop,     145,    317—319, 

325,  331,  332,  367. 
Trench,  Mrs.,  331,  334. 
Trench,  Miss,  331,  334. 
Trenchard,  Mrs.,  10,  25,  46,  102. 
Trinity  College,  31,  47,  50,  487. 
Tristram,  Dr.,  417,  447. 
Trueman,  C,  Esq.  [Tyler  Hill],  436. 
Turner,  322. 
Tyrol,  147,  450. 

Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  212. 

Valley  of  Rocks,  70,  80. 

Valliere,  Madame  La,  303. 

Valpy's  Greek  Testament,  179. 

Vandyke,  71. 

Vaucluse,  254. 

Vaughan,  Dr.  C.  J.,  336. 

Vaughan,  Rev.  E.  T.,  60,  94,  113,  137, 

186,  218,  226,  236,    245,  283,   289, 

347,  379,  382,  402,  489—491. 
Veit  Stoss,  276. 
Venables,  Rev.  E.  417. 
Venice,  148,  376,  430. 
Vernet,  Horace,  354. 
Verona,  148. 
Versailles,  354. 
Vesuvius,  375,  405. 
Victor  Emanuel,  256. 
Victoria,  Queen,  113,    120,  204,  238, 

257, 334,  338,  342, 343,  377, 378,  384, 

399,  442,  449,  464,  482. 


Vienna,  93,  276. 

Vines  Gate,  385,   387,  390,  414,   430, 
451,  454—461,  465. 

Wade,  Canon,  262. 
Wahl,  145. 
Waldenses,  323,  410. 
Wales,  171,  210. 
Walton,  Isaac,  87. 
Walton's  Polyglot,  478. 
Warburton,  Elliot,  Esq.,  180. 
Waterloo,  110,  111,  204,  353. 
Wellesley,  Dean,  377,  422,  464,  482. 
Wellesley,  Hon.  Mrs.,  422. 
Wellington,  Duke   of,  204,  212,  217, 

252. 
Westminster  Abbey,  99,  287,  296,  350, 

382,  413,  446. 
Weston-super-Mare,  144. 
Wharton's  Pleasm-es    of  Melancholy, 

26. 
Whewell,  Dr.  [Master  of  Trinity],  284, 

388. 
Whitehall,  287,  421. 
Whitfield,  Rev.  G.,  413. 
Wight,  Isle  of,  58. 
Wiiberforce,  Bishop,  299,  358. 
Wilberforce,  Archdeacon,  160. 
Wiiberforce,  W.,  Esq.,  33,  34,  49. 
Wilberforce,  Mrs.,  34. 
Wiiberforce,  Miss,  34. 
Wilhelmshohe,  278. 
Willis,  Professor,  414. 
Windsor  Castle,  256,  377,  46 i. 
Winer,  145. 

Winkfield,  17,  22,  90,  239. 
Wolfe,  22. 
Wolffe,  Dr.,  240. 
Woodward.  Rev.  F.  B.,  308,  319. 
Woodward,  Rev.  M.,  392. 
Wordsworth,  Bishop,  42,  218,  262. 
Wordsworth,  W.,  55,  61—65,  104,  113, 

115, 132. 
Wordsworth,  Mrs.,  113,  116. 
Wraxall,  4,  7,  239. 
Wright,  C  .1.,  Esq.,  131,  147,  181. 
Wymeswold,  99,   100,  102—234,  318, 

405,  487,  490. 

Year  of  Prayer,  389,  392. 
York,  Cardinal,  318. 
York,  Duke  of,  27. 
York  [City],  113,  385. 
Young,  Miss  Mary,  240. 

Zealand,  New,  113. 
Zuingle,  353. 


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